This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Leechburg, Pa. • A western Pennsylvania school board voted to let a high school basketball team play while police investigate alleged hazing-related assaults over the last decade.
The Leechburg Area School Board also on Tuesday night voted to hire an independent law firm to review the allegations.
Leechburg police Chief Mike Diebold characterized the incidents as "assaults," and say they involved use of a stick and had sexual connotations. The chief says the current victims were treated less severely than those in the past, without elaborating.
An attorney for two players alleging the hazing are "not doing well," according to their attorney, Timothy Schweers. He's refused to provide details, however.
The boys' team is set to play Monessen in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League playoffs on Tuesday.
Coach Damian Davies has called the allegations "sensationalism."