Superintendent says district didn’t know about hazing

By Katie Roenigk
Riverton Ranger
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
RIVERTON — Riverton school officials are defending themselves against claims that local coaches and administrators were aware of hazing activities taking place among Fremont County School District 25 students.
The assertion came from lawyers representing the three former Riverton High School wrestlers found guilty this month of attacking younger students in January on a bus traveling through Natrona County, according to published reports.
FCSD 25 superintendent Terry Snyder issued a statement refuting the notion that his administration knew about the attack, during which he said eight victims were choked, with their mouths covered, while they were physically assaulted and sexually harassed.
"The attacks were executed quickly and under the cover of complete darkness," Snyder wrote. "The assailants' actions were appalling."
He said that, during the course of a six-month investigation into the incident - which involved interviews with every current wrestler, manager and coach, and the majority of former coaches dating back to 2008, as well as former wrestlers - the district and law enforcement agencies involved did not find any evidence that any individual employed by FCSD 25 knew of sexual harassment taking place within the wrestling team.
The investigation did uncover an activity known as the "Snake Pit," which Snyder said was described as "wrestlers wrestling around and rough-housing."
Snyder said the incident on the wrestling bus did not fit that definition.
"These were attacks and in no way wrestling moves," he said. "The physical assault and sexual harassment of these victims was not 'Snake Pitting;' it was a criminal act."
FCSD 25 did not have the opportunity to counter the "multiple false accusations made" during the legal proceedings this month in Natrona County, Snyder said, but he emphasized in his written statement that the district "will not tolerate anything that remotely approaches an initiation or hazing activity."
"The perpetrators had no defense for what they did, so they chose to blame the school, all of the athletic teams, their former teammates, plus the present and past coaches," he wrote.
"There is no culture of hazing at the district," Snyder added.
The FCSD 25 Board of Trustees commended Snyder for his statement during a meeting that day.
Board chairman Carl Manning also complimented the board for its actions in response to the incident, noting that community members have been critical of the proceedings, which resulted in the expulsion of the three former wrestlers.
"I apologize to all of the board members for the things being said about the board, because we did our job," he said.
"When we found out about it, we took care of it. ... To think that we have been in a vacuum since January, doing nothing, is totally untrue. Things have been done. The students were dealt with when it was an appropriate time to do it, (and) were rightly disciplined."
Snyder's statement also mentioned steps the district has taken to keep similar incidents from taking place in the future.
"We will not tolerate hazing in any form," he said. "I stand by the actions and character of my staff, students, coaches and athletes."
During the Sept. 11 board meeting he specifically thanked the victims of the January incident for reporting the attacks.
"When you look at the courage it took to come forward - it's not easy," he said. "These victims have been re-victimized many times, and this is going to be a hard thing for them to live with, but if they wouldn't have (reported it), there was a possibility that program could've just faded into the background, and that would've been unfortunate."
He wished for the "greatest recovery and success in life" for the victims and expressed hope that the perpetrators "learn from" the experience.
"They have to gain an understanding of right and wrong," Snyder said. "I hope those lessons were learned by them. ... That's part of growing up."
All three defendants were sentenced to one to three weeks in jail followed by probation, according to published reports.