Disturbing video captures a Southern California student being physically and sexually assaulted during an alleged hazing incident.
The victim, who had joined the baseball team at Upland High School, was subjected to constant assault along with bullying and harassment, the teen’s family said.
“It’s heartwrenching and it’s disturbing,” said Priscilla Villanueva, the victim’s mother.
An assault targeting the boy in the locker room on Feb. 14 was captured on cell phone video.
The boy is seen being trapped in a headlock by a teammate. As he struggles to break free, other players surround him, pulling his pants and eventually sexually assaulting him, the boy’s mother said.
“Another student or a teammate gets a PVC pipe and inserts it into his bottom area while another student is videoing his face while he is being headlocked,” Villanueva said. “Then he’s thrown to the floor and they continue to choke him out.”
The varsity baseball team members allegedly subjected younger students to the hazing rituals. They would often record the assaults and send the videos to a group chat, according to the victim’s family.
The family also claims the team’s coach turned a blind eye to the hazing rituals and that school administrators failed to protect students.
Villanueva said her son is too anxious to return to campus and is being homeschooled for the time being. She recalled noticing a personality change in her son but didn’t realize it was due to bullying.
“He’s really an outgoing kid and very goofy and funny and that slowly changed,” Villanueva said. “I get horseplaying and I get messing around, but that starts it and then it goes too far and that’s the problem.”
Following the incident, the family has filed a legal claim against the Upland Unified School District and is seeking over $3 million in damages.
Since the assault video was released, the family’s lawyer said they’ve received calls from other students who were also allegedly subjected to hazing and bullying on campus. District officials said an internal and external review of the incident will be conducted.
A statement from the Upland Unified School District superintendent’s office said:
“With unwavering commitment to our student safety, our district leaders are taking this situation very seriously. The district launched an internal review of the alleged incident involving physical misconduct by players on the UHS varsity baseball team. An experienced outside investigator has been interviewing players, coaches, and administrators to determine exactly what happened. The family of the alleged victim has filed a financial claim with the district. We are taking care not to jeopardize the confidentiality of the ongoing investigation. We must respect the privacy and due process rights of everyone involved. As such, we will not be discussing any further details at this time. The district will continue to take appropriate disciplinary actions as necessary.”
Footage of the incident can be seen in the video player above.