Four Boyd High School football players are facing felony charges for hazing a 14-year-old teammate. All the boys are students in the Boyd Independent School District in Wise County.
Attorneys representing one of the arrested students referred to the alleged crimes as “locker room hijinks” and claimed such behavior “has been going on for years at this high school,” while one of the school’s football coaches allegedly said the incident should be “handled in the locker room” and not reported to administrators.
Two suspects, Noah Davis Stevens and Chason Lee-Earl Tucker, are 17 years old and charged as adults. The other two suspects are 15- and 16-year-old juveniles, so their names are not being released.
Stevens and Tucker are charged with unlawful restraint of a child under 17 and injury to a child causing bodily injury.
Both were arrested and booked into the Wise County Jail on September 17 and released the next day on bonds totaling $15,000 ($7,500 for each charge).
The hazing occurred on September 3 in the Boyd High School field house, according to a September 16 statement from the Boyd Police Department.
Boyd PD stated that it conducted a “thorough and impartial investigation” and interviewed “all involved parties” before obtaining warrants and making the arrests.
“The safety and security of Boyd ISD students and staff continue to be a priority for the Boyd Police Department and Boyd ISD,” added Public Information Officer Ray Cannon.
According to arrest affidavits obtained by WFAA, the 14-year-old student was in the weight room around 4:50 p.m. when a 16-year-old sophomore picked him up and carried him to the locker room. Investigators said surveillance video verified that much, but camera coverage does not extend into the locker room.
The targeted student told investigators that a 15-year-old student then grabbed his ankles, dragged him into the locker room, and held him down.
He said Tucker removed his shirt, while other suspects pulled down his shorts and tried to remove his underwear. The student said he fought back and kept his underwear on, then Stevens dragged him by the ankle toward the shower area.
During a forensic interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center, the targeted teen said Tucker pulled down his own pants and sat on the boy with his bare buttocks and genitals.
Investigators stated that several witnesses said they saw Stevens drag the boy across the floor toward the shower area. Others said they heard the 14-year-old boy screaming.
According to the affidavits, a Boyd High School coach heard the noise, entered the locker room and “advised the boys to settle down,” then left.
The targeted teen was then able to get away from his four alleged attackers. The struggles left him with bruises on his back and pain in a recently broken wrist.
He reported the hazing to his coaches and said all but one of the football coaches attended a meeting to interview him. Two coaches reported the incident to Boyd High School Principal Jennifer Railsback later that evening.
One coach allegedly said the matter should “be handled in the locker room and didn’t need to be reported further up.”
Hazing is a crime under Texas Education Code, with penalties for both personal and organizational offenders. Failure to report hazing is also a state crime.
On September 17, Boyd ISD released a statement about the hazing incident and resulting arrests, indicating that the district is conducting an “ongoing investigation under a potential Title IX violation.”
Regulations under this law require us to complete the investigation prior to assigning any discipline in the manner. The district is taking the issue seriously and we expect the Title IX process to be completed soon, and we will proceed with appropriate actions. Since this involves confidential student information no other information can be released by the district.
Attorneys with Varghese Summersett, who are representing Stevens, also released a statement:
It’s unfortunate that lawyers have to become involved in a situation that could have been addressed by the coaching staff. But here we are. This kind of behavior has been going on for years at this high school. Our client experienced similar locker room hijinks when he began playing football there. Context and culture matter.
Before the public convicts a high school student, people should consider the facts, not just the claims. This is a good kid who had just turned 17 when he was led away in handcuffs, like some dangerous criminal, at the end of a school day. The people who know him best stand behind him, and so do we.
MaxPreps lists Stevens as a 220-pound junior and Tucker as a 260-pound senior.
Shawn Sparks is Boyd High School’s head football coach. The Boyd ISD website lists 10 other football coaching staff in addition to Sparks.
It’s not yet known if the players and coaches involved will continue to participate in Boyd ISD’s football program.
The Boyd Tigers are currently 1-3 this season in non-conference play. Their next game is on September 25 against Mineral Wells.
