SPOKANE, Wash. — New details have emerged in an ongoing KREM 2 investigation into allegations of assault and harassment within the Mead High School football team. Attorneys for the alleged victims now claim the incidents were racially motivated.
Last month, KREM 2 was the first to report on the initial allegations. Since then, three more victims have come forward, asserting they experienced similar harassment.
Two additional teenagers and their families are preparing to file a second lawsuit against the Mead School District. They allege that they were assaulted at a football camp last year and have faced ongoing harassment and retaliation since then.
The incidents were first reported to Cheney Police in February as a sexual assault. Police records indicate cell phone videos showed multiple teens assaulting teammates with a massage gun.
A newly filed tort claim by the Connelly Law Offices states that the football camp, held annually at Eastern Washington University, has "a history of racial harassment, assaults and intolerance against students of color." The claim alleges that Mead coaches and administrators ignored these issues. The documents assert that multiple players "endured intimidation and routine racial slurs," including being called the n-word and "monkeys," and were labeled as "snitches" and told they "should be leashed." The claim further accuses Mead employees of ignoring their own policies and failing to initiate a thorough investigation, with parents not being notified until eight months later.
"We're very concerned," said Marcus Sweetser, a Spokane attorney representing three other alleged victims. Last month, he spoke exclusively with KREM 2, questioning why Mead School District did not take action sooner.
According to the school district's internal investigation findings, two students were assaulted during the EWU football camp in acts that had "typical characteristics of hazing" and "may represent sexual harassment assault." The district insists it investigated the incidents and offered to create safety plans for some of the alleged victims, but says those offers were refused. The report indicates that Mead Principal Kimberly Jensen was informed of the cell phone videos in early December, but she claims she did not watch the videos or notify parents until late February.
The latest tort claim states that the Mead School District caused millions of dollars in damage to each of the victims and hopes the district will attempt to settle these claims. Sweetser expects to officially file a lawsuit against the district in the coming weeks.
Attorneys with the Connelly Law Offices provided a statement to KREM 2, saying, “Kids in Washington State have a right to attend school and its extracurriculars in a safe environment free from fear of physical assaults and harassment. Our hope is that shedding light on what is going on in the Mead School District will bring an end to these injustices and benefit future students at Mead.”
Meanwhile, Sweetser said he intends to file suit against the Mead District by mid-July
RELATED: Family of WSU hazing victim working with UW students on national database to track incidents
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