Prairie Ridge Wrestling Hazing May Have Included Sexual Molestation

WMAQ-TV ran pictures of Crystal Lake Police Cars at City Hall in its Thursday night story about the proble of Prairie Ridge High School's wrestling hazing.

Reading between the lines of the following press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department, but not too much, led me to the use of the words “sexual molestation” in the headline. See if you agree.

On Thursday, January 28, 2010 the Crystal Lake Police Department was notified by Prairie Ridge High School Staff, regarding their investigation of an anonymous report of possible hazing involving a number of students who are members of the school’s wrestling team.

School District Officials related that they had received an anonymous letter alleging a wrestler was held down by other wrestlers, who then slapped him numerous times on his stomach causing minor injury.

Prairie Ridge School staff, acting on information received in this anonymous letter, conducted their own preliminary investigation to determine the validity of the allegations.

Upon learning through their investigation that certain acts suggested that students engaged in activities that may include criminal conduct, Police were notified.

Since notification, the Crystal Lake Police Department Investigations Division has been conducting interviews at the school to determine the extent of any possible criminal activity.

Crystal Lake Investigators have interviewed over 60 of the student wrestlers which make up the Prairie Ridge wrestling team.

Investigators are also in the process of conducting formal interviews with the teams coaching staff.

The investigation has revealed that a number of wrestlers may have been involved in activities that include the restraining of wrestlers by other members of the team who then slap them on the stomach.

Additionally, police are investigating alleged actions on the part of some members of the wrestling team that may have included certain parts of the restrained wrestlers’ private areas being touched through their clothing.

This investigation continues and the police department has consulted the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office who will review the entire investigation upon its completion. No charges have been filed as of this time.

For further information, contact Chief David Linder at 815-356-3714.

I asked Chief Linder if juveniles are put on the lifetime sex offender list. They are not unless found guilty as an adult.

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See also the letter posted on the Prairie Ridge High School web site this morning and the press release issued later.

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March 6, 2010, update on arrests.


Comments

Prairie Ridge Wrestling Hazing May Have Included Sexual Molestation — 36 Comments

  1. It’s not “hazing and intimidation”; it’s assault and battery, including conspiracy to commit, and there is certainly a sexual assault aspect. How about “mob action”? The school’s “press release” is a C.Y.A., especially by including the “Mission.” Why weren’t 60 wrestlers supervised by staff? Where and when did it happen? If on campus, better throw the net around some staff members, too! Just one time or multiple incidents? I hope they don’t skate on “boys will be boys.”

  2. you have no clue what happened its just a tradition none of the wrstlers care.

  3. This is much ado about nothing. I went to high school in the early ‘80’s and guys punched each other in the nuts all the time, especially if you were on an athletic team. Pink bellies (the other “atrocity” mentioned) have been going on since Abe Lincoln was chopping wood as a kid. To label it as criminal is comical.

    The overreaction by the media and the previous poster is the typical reaction of the melodramatic society that we’ve become.

  4. Nothing? This is a huge deal. I happen to go to this school and it’s all over the radar. Not only that, but the other 3 schools are talking about it. There are rumors flying all over the place like gnats and flies.

  5. No one knows what exactly happened besides those who were involved with it. Everything has gotten blown WAY out of proportion. All the boys do it to each other, which makes it unfair that only a few of them got singled out and punnished for it. They either should have punnished everyone, or no one. This whole thing has been made into such a big deal when it really isn’t. It is really no one’s business except those who were actually involved in it and the school officials. There was no reason that the police should have been notified, and absolutely NO reason that the media should have been involved. So stupid. And the writer of this article should probably do a little research on the meaning of “sexual molestation” because this is not anything like that.

  6. Exactly what John said. You people and the press have no clue what happened.

  7. Ian… I am from one of those 3 school. I heard that fingers went where they were not supposed to go? Is that true? I am very sorry, i feel sorry for the students that attend there.

  8. I also go to PR. A lot more happened then they seem to say in the reports. It’s unfortunate that the entire team gets lumped into one mass though because some of those kids on the team really are innocent but are being judged for their teammates’ misconduct. However, I think that the guys who were ‘molesting’ the younger boys should have serious action taken against them. It’s disgusting what they did and they should know better, especially when the younger teams look up to them. What kind of behavior is that? It’s inexcusable and the ignorant kids at school and online who ‘support’ the boys (though they are practically MEN) who committed the hazing are unreasonable. You do wrong, you pay the price. That’s how it is.
    As for the staff members, I can’t imagine that they knew about it. If this happened in the locker rooms, staff aren’t allowed in there. If they were, maybe the hazing wouldn’t have occurred but then there would probably be some other case calling coaches out to be perverts. It’s unavoidable and just unfortunate that not all the guys on the team could be trusted.

  9. Hmmm isn’t the first posting from someone who is running for political office? If you are a politician then as far as I am concerned you are using this negative issue as a means to gain popularity.
    We can only guess what really happened, from the police report which says boys were touched in their private areas through clothes. That could mean many things. To call it molestation I think it is going a bit too far.

  10. Well got news for all of you this was blown way out of context and the one who needs to be punished is the damn crybaby who went home and toldhis mom stupid lies!!!You all did it to each other including the freshman. Its so funny to how the dean singled out only certain ones when all of the wrestlers including the coaches knew and laughed about it saying how it has gone on for over 7 years then along comes 1 lying attention seeking child!

  11. And as for Ms Kat & Lisa shows how immature u are and little children should keep their mouths shut and get the stories straight thats why your school is in this mess!!

  12. I went to PR for four years and even though I’m not a student now I have a younger brother there who plays a sport. What happened at PR, the REAL story, is not something that should be down played. What happened is wrong. Guys punching each other in the shoulder in a friendly matter is one thing, but putting their finger into a place it shouldn’t have gone is unacceptable. What if they kept getting away with this and moved onto girls? Would this still be so acceptable Jim and John and Max? Should I worry not only for my younger brother but for my girl friends that are still there? Should I worry that this could become RAPE if not taken care of now? This is a crime that should be given the full punishment. If we let this go by with no action taken then much worse things could happen because others would see there is no penalty for the crime. It sickens me that you two think this is such an insignificant event that occurred and should be swept under the rug. It worries me that YOU might have been one of those boys who ‘hazed’ someone in your own time…

  13. I agreee, I don’t even go to prairie ridge and this is all over town, rumors upon rumors.

  14. I go to one of the other three schools and have heard about this. It isn’t something that should be taken lightly. I know that not everybody on the wrestling team was responsible for this, I am glad that this issue is being taken care of.

  15. This new fingering thing just happened this year, not 7 years. A really good friend of mine who wrestled frosh-jr year said nothing like that EVER happened before. He’s really disappointed in his old teammates for taking it way too far.

  16. Let it all out C>M. I’ll say what I think and you can say what you think.

    No matter what happens (guilty or not) these boys are going to have a hard time after this. I feel sorry if they truly did nothing. But it they did, they deserve all that they have coming. And to all the “little children should keep their mouths shut”, I disagree. I’m glad the person went and told on those boys. No one should ever have to go through that. It’s not even something ‘cool’ to brag about.

    What the police and parents are most likely worried about is that this, in the future, could go much farther. From this inappropriate touching of private parts to worse sexual assault. “If it’s through the clothes it doesn’t count” I will disregard that completely because some people are just plain ridiculous.

  17. you all are doing the same thing …spreding nothing but gossip..As for the so called “HAZING “thats a joke …my son played 4 years football and now wrestler for his 4th year at PR he said when he was a freshman it was worse and worse on the football team.As for the coaches Im sure they all knew stuff was going on cause they would remind the upperclassman not to go after the younger players….I feel that alot of this behavior happens all day long in the hallways ..boys think they are funny when they give each other Credit card slices and grundies …As the the whole story we know there are always going to be 3 side to the story and Im sure what you all have heard is FAR from the truth…but thats what are society has becaome and we judged them all GUILTY and they need to prove their innoceince and thats sad …NO OFFICIAL CHARGES have been made and until then leave the wrestlers alone till they are human and have feeling and need to go finish HIgh school and not let this affect you …Stay strong boys and lets finish up the year …

  18. The fact of the matter is the behavior was inappropriate. If one person is bothered by it, then it is wrong. Obviously parents and teachers are missing this while educating students. It’s wrong if the person doesn’t want it to happen. Behavior like this is also usually taught…by what’s happening at home, or what someone sees someone else doing at school. It’s not cool to “haze” someone who doesn’t want it or is touched in places they shouldn’t. They aren’t crybaby’s if they tell, they are strong people who believe in themselves and their convictions, and who don’t give in to peer pressure.
    To freak out about it tells me that C>M has confidence issues and either took part in the hazing, thinks it’s “cool” because he wants to fit in, or both.
    As for Li Murphy, you should not have allowed this kind of behavior to happen to your kid and should have told the school. No wonder women, girls, men and boys get raped and harrassed all the time. “Well, it must be ok if my parents let it happen.” Way to parent jack-ass.

  19. P.s. Li, just because your son hasn’t been charged yet, doesn’t mean he won’t be. So called hazing is what it is. If you do something to someone “cuz everyone else does it” doesn’t mean it’s not hazing. You would obviously let your kid jump off the Empire State building because “all the cool kids are doin it.”

  20. C>M, Are you an adult? Do you have children? I don’t know what you are thinking but you sound more immature than the young people on this blog. What they did was wrong and the school hiding it for almost a week was even worse. If nothing bad happened why did the school officials try to keep it a secret for a week? These boys/men should have to be held responsible for their actions and any faculty who also knew should be held accountable.

  21. im ON the pr wrestling team and all this is just flat out BS, everyone know what was going on and it was common knowledge it was all in good fun, it was anything that should be charged. so why doesnt everyone here shut their mouths? sounds good.

  22. why would you even bring this situation upon girls. This had nothing to do with girls at all. This was a higschool wrestling tradition. It has always happened and one person had to tell. Also, if this was a sport thing then what are you trying to say, these guys are gonna find some random girls and rape them?? your out of your mind, I know all those kids and not one of them would ever do that. Also just becuase you went to PR, doesnt mean anything, know what happened before you say anything.

  23. I wrestled at crystal lake south for my entire high school career. do initiations/hazing happen? yes. were we ever investigated? no. this makes me wonder how serious the hazing was. if you think this investigation is over “pink bellies” then i question youre intelligence. if the police are involved in this incident, obviously something more serious happened. and either way, any type of hazing goes against ihsa and district policy. but i think the more serious matter is the fact that the police are investigating this. i think its pretty obvious that something more serious went down and the people who are downplaying this matter are oblivious or down right not very intelligent.

    if the hazing/initiation really wasnt that bad, why are the police involved? if some kid just got a pink belly, i highly doubt this would be getting the attention that it is getting. and you people who think nothing serious happened, id like to know where you were when this incident happened. did you witness it? i find it surprising and kind of embarrassing how people are downplaying the seriousness of this event when you yourself werent there. as someone who is currently studying criminal justice, i highly doubt the police would get involved if this didnt carry some criminal implications i.e. some type of assault/sexual crime.

  24. Wow i cant believe how incredibly stupid are commenting on situations that they have no involvement in. Everyone that is saying that its never happened is flat out retarded it has been happening for years the only difference is someone told there parents besides going to the coaches first to stop it. Liz, Coraline, and whoever else that think they know what happen that isn’t on the wrestling team should shut up about it because the police took this out of context and explained it completely wrong. Nothing was sexual it was HAZING so get over it. It’s stupid that the police were involved without even a warning and all the rumors just made it worse, so if everyone stops talking about things they have no idea about this wouldn’t have been blow so far out of proportion.
    Just because you have a computer doesn’t mean you have to talk about this because your not on the wrestling team. And you guys are over reacting to think that’s it ok to say that these kids, not men, should have jail time

  25. hmm to all you retards who say it was nothing… people were being held down and fingered. thats right FINGERED, 5 men to one little kid, THAT IS WHAT IT WAS, MOLESTATION

  26. they weren’t fingered retard everyone was wearing cloths and 5 men werent holding down one little kid. everyone was doing it to everyone its a wrestling thing every other school does it too. and i know this for a fact cause ive talked to wrestlers from other schools and they say they do the same thing. the only difference is they call it butt dragging and some schools use it as a wrestling move. so knows kid you should go talk about something you actually know about cause you sound like a stupid little kid who likes to listen to gossip that was spread around by other stupid people. and the only reason some of the kids are getting in trouble is because they are bigger then the others even. i told the cops i did it but didnt get in trouble because i wasnt one of the bigger guys

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