By Jasmin Embers - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Rich Miller - email
MCLEAN COUNTY, KY (WFIE) - It's a form of initiation that sometimes can go too far.
The parents of two freshman boys at McLean County High School told 14 News their sons received physical injuries that required a trip to the doctor's office.
Chris Brackett played basketball for McLean County two years ago and says hazing has been going on for years.
"It seemed like we were just getting beat every single day and we'd be going home with bruises and stuff. I just thought it was toughening me up for basketball games and stuff like that."
But several high school students have had enough. McLean County principal Ashley Troutman says parents told the school Friday that basketball players were physically abusing their sons in the locker room.
Principal Ashley Troutman says many times hazing occurs without anyone else's knowledge because students are too afraid to speak up.
"Too often we deal with things that have been going on and supposedly for some time. A lot of times I feel the students are fearful to talk to administration. Teachers sometimes and parents don't know what's going on."
Brackett says he actually expected hazing when he went to school.
"We didn't want to tell on them because if we did we were just going to get it worse. It was just going to continue so we just took what we got."
School officials will not specifically say what took place. Police and school officials say they still need to interview the whole team and any possible witnesses.
"It takes time to go through due process and it takes time to investigate," Troutman said. "But I want parents to know that their children are safe regardless if in the locker room, school bus or school."
Have you been the victim of hazing? Talk about it below.
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