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BRUNSWICK — After a hazing incident ended its season, the Brunswick School Department is asking for a full reinstatement of its high school’s football program.
This comes after the last few games of this past season were canceled, and the head coach was fired.
The Maine Principals’ Association guidelines said a team that doesn’t complete its season is barred from varsity competition for two years but can file a waiver to appeal.
Brunswick Superintendent Phil Potenziano said he doesn’t think students should be penalized for this and they deserve to play.
“We really feel like it’s not the students fault that this has occurred so to speak. Next year’s students will be a different group. New coach. So we really feel like we need to look to the future,” Potenziano said.
The MPA said the appeal request has been submitted for an upcoming meeting in late-January.
According to an investigation report, the misconduct happened during the high school football team’s annual overnight retreat at Thomas Point Beach Aug. 16-17.
On Sep. 2, school administrators were informed that a football player was held down and a sex toy was put in his mouth.
The report said 36 players of the 39 rostered players were interviewed between Sept. 14-27.
The reports detail that several videos were taken during the retreat and sent to other students at the school. It’s unclear if any of the videos were posted on social media.
None of the parties involved were interested in filing criminal charges. The Brunswick Police Department is considering the case closed.