Investigation finds ‘culture of hazing’ in central Maine football program

An investigation by a law firm into the Lisbon High School football team found a “culture of hazing,” WMTW reported.
The Lisbon School Department hired Drummond-Woodsum of Portland earlier this month after students told school officials that a student had been pinned to the floor in the boys’ locker room and assaulted with a broomstick, according to the TV station.
The report by the law firm notes similar incidents of students allegedly being trapped and poked with a broomstick. Additionally, it describes “belt battles” that left a mark on at least one freshman player, an underclassman being put head first in a trash can by a junior, and freshmen or first-year players being expected to carry equipment to the field more than upperclassmen, according to WMTW.
As a result of the hazing investigation, seven student-athletes were removed from the football team, the station reported.
The football program at Lisbon High has been suspended since Oct. 4.
The Lisbon Police Department is investigating a second hazing incident involving Lisbon High football players that happened at a different time, according to the station.