SEATTLE (AP) - Police in Bothell declined to forward charges against Bothell High School football players after concluding that inappropriate behavior was horseplay rather than criminal behavior.
The decision followed two investigations this year into allegations players restraining and finger-poking teammates between the buttocks, The Seattle Times reported.
An 18-year-old student last spring told a Bothell police officer that he had overheard athletes describe a practice called “Rape Squad.” Players would yell those words, restrain a teammate, pull down his pants and fondle or poke genitals, the student said.
Police reports obtained by The Seattle Times indicated the investigation was closed within days with the officer citing no evidence of a crime, victims or suspects.
A second police investigation began last month after players returning from an August overnight football training camp described similar behavior.
Three players, ages 14 and 15, described being poked while fully clothed. Neither they nor their parents would press charges.
Officer Garrett Ware handled both investigations and closed the second case Sept. 20. Students viewed the activity as “horseplay” and some alleged victims had jokingly reciprocated.
“All parties involved indicated that, although highly inappropriate and potentially criminal, the behavior was done without malicious or criminal intent or sexual motivation,” Ware wrote.
The Northshore School District afterward imposed unspecified student discipline and school sanctions, including potential cancellation of some overnight playoff road trips, spokeswoman Lisa Youngblood Hall said in a statement.
School administrators and football coach Tom Bainter made plans for increased supervision, she said, after the April investigation to “ensure a safe environment” for players.
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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
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