Stevensville, Md (WUSA9) — Critics are calling on school officials to impose harsher penalties for an apparently sexually degrading hazing incident that has resulted in Kent Island High school canceling the boy's JV lacrosse team's season.
"It's not enough," said the mother of one Kent Island High School student. "It's going to happen again until a bigger consequence is given," said another.
RELATED: Lacrosse team forfeits season after high school locker room assault spreads shock on Kent Island
The April 13 incident in the high school's locker room was caught on video and posted to social media, sparking a criminal investigation and action by the school's principal against the team.
The video shows a screaming boy being held to the ground by teammates while at least two others appear to expose themselves and force apparently inappropriate contact to the victim's head.
Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Lance Richardson said the incident "has been characterized as a hazing/false imprisonment/sexual assault".
The alleged assault remains under investigation by the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Department.
School officials will not confirm reports from parents shared on social media that three individuals got a three-day in-school suspension as punishment.
On Friday, Kent Island High School Principal John R. Schrencongost announced in a community letter that the JV team's season would be forfeited.
"While not all players were involved, a significant number were actively engaged in highly inexcusable behavior", Schrencongost wrote.
Discussion on a community Facebook page has been heated.
Some complain that innocent team members are being punished as well as being bullied and threatened at school. Others are outraged over what some view as a slap on the wrist.
The criminal investigation includes questions about whether or not adults may have known about the attack and failed to quickly report it, law enforcement sources said.
The attack was first reported to the Sheriff's Department by "members of the community" who saw the video on Facebook two days after the incident, according to Joe Saboury, a spokesman for the department.
Queen Anne's County Public School Superintendent Andrea M. Kane has declined to answer WUSA9's questions, saying through a spokesman that the incident remains under investigation.
Members of the Queen Anne's County Board of Education either did not respond to WUSA9's request for comment, or declined citing the investigation.
