FALLBROOK — The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing hazing allegations involving members of the Fallbrook High School varsity baseball team, officials confirmed.
The alleged hazing incident occurred in March and prompted an investigation by the school district, with assistance from juvenile detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation was completed earlier this month and turned over to the district attorney’s office for review.
According to Elan Zektser, an attorney representing one of the victims, hazing has been part of the team’s culture for years.
“At Fallbrook High School, for many years, coaches were allowing these minors to run around naked on the school premises,” Zektser said during a press conference at the district’s office earlier this month.
Zektser described players as either willingly or forcefully “running from one side of the field to the next” without clothing. He said his client refused to participate and was then cornered in an unsupervised locker room, where other players sexually threatened him.
“They locked the doors, they tackled him, they attempted to take his clothes off while they were yelling that they were going to rape him,” he said. “They themselves, a number of them, took their clothes off and attempted to put their penises in his face. Can you imagine how scared my client felt?”
Zektser said the threats continued via social media and text messages.
“We have those texts. The school has those texts,” he said.
One parent told FOX 5/KUSI that his 14-year-old freshman son was among those accused and has since been suspended, removed from the team and banned from attending games.
Zektser placed blame on the school’s administration and athletic department.
“The athletic director knew what was happening and did absolutely nothing about it,” Zektser said, adding that the director also served as the team’s coach.
The attorney said there are “dozens” of victims, including the perpetrators themselves.
In a statement released April 7, the Fallbrook Union High School District said it was recently made aware of the allegations and immediately launched an investigation.
“Student safety and well-being are the District’s top priorities,” the statement read. “The District cannot comment on the specific allegations or the corrective action that will be taken at the conclusion of the investigation due to student and staff privacy rights.”
The district attorney’s office said it cannot comment on juvenile cases for privacy reasons.
Zektser said his client has filed “government claims” in connection with the incident.
“We have to wait a certain amount of time, and a lawsuit will follow – and we will make changes,” he said.
