The Stevens Point Area School District is hiring an independent detective agency to investigate an alleged hazing incident involving the Stevens Point Area Senior High football team.
Superintendent of Schools Emery Babcock said he received a call from a parent of a sophomore student about "a possible hazing event."
"Then I received other calls and other board members received calls. It started to mushroom into quite a few kids," he told The Gazette.
"We believe it was upperclassmen versus lowerclassmen," Babcock said.
A news release issued by the district stated administrators received several complaints from parents related to an incident last Thursday evening involving several high school football players regarding inappropriate conduct and possible Athletic Code violations.
"If it proves to be true, it is not a funny matter," Babcock said.
Babcock decided to hire a Wausau detective agency because, he said, he felt the district was so close to the situation. He compared the decision to what a police department would do if an internal investigation was necessary.