A high school water polo team in California has been rocked by a hazing scandal with several players being accused of injuring teammates.
The scandal involves Long Beach’s Wilson High School male water polo team and occurred at a hotel near San Jose last weekend. In a later-leaked email to parents, coach Zac Polmanteer said athletes were subjected to harmful acts.
“Multiple student athletes were subjected to humiliating and physically harmful acts. Some athletes sustained injuries from being physically struck by their teammates,” Polmanteer wrote.
Polmanteer said he did not learn of the incident until the team returned to Long Beach on Sunday, though he learned there were several noise complaints and curfew violations before they left.
“This level of behavior is shocking, unacceptable, and completely contrary to everything we stand for as a program,” Polmanteer wrote.
“Hazing is a cultural problem, even when only a handful of athletes directly participate,” he added.
The exact details and extent of the injuries students sustained have not been disclosed. The Long Beach Unified School District has confirmed it is investigating the incident.