Schools chief, D.A. meet with Central Bucks West parents

Parents of Central Bucks High School West football players expressed a variety of emotions Monday night during a private meeting with the school district's superintendent and the Bucks County district attorney, the first time officials have met with parents since the district canceled the rest of the football season over allegations of hazing.

For more than an hour in the Doylestown school's auditorium, Superintendent David Weitzel addressed about 75 parents and took questions from the audience, said the father of a sophomore player who did not want to be identified.

District Attorney David Heckler, who confirmed his attendance in a later telephone interview, also told the crowd that his office was interested in speaking with any potential victims or witnesses as an investigation progresses.

Police said last week that they planned on interviewing every junior and senior on the team, as well as the coaches.

Weitzel told the parents what the district has discovered so far about the hazing, said the parent who spoke after the meeting. Officials believe it took place at a preseason picnic, he said, and involved two activities: players being put in the showers with towels over their heads, and, separately, players "slapping" the groins of their fully clothed teammates.

"It's really stupid, and really, really, really immature," the parent said.

Heckler said that authorities would seek in their investigation to identify whether any alleged activities were criminal, and that his office would assist local police in any way needed.

Monday's meeting occurred a day before a school board meeting in which the controversy is expected to take center stage.

In a statement released to parents Monday, Board President Paul Faulkner stood by the superintendent's decision to suspend the football season.

"We commend the administration for acting promptly in the best interest of every student and out of an abundance of caution," he said.

Administrators learned about the alleged hazing two weeks ago, when a parent reported hearing that a player had resisted getting his hair cut - a six-year-old tradition - and was subsequently punched by a teammate, Weitzel said.

School officials interviewed students and could not substantiate that allegation, but began to hear about more troubling activities, Weitzel said. What they heard, he said, "clearly defines hazing."

Those allegations included the shower ritual - which was described as "waterboarding" - and the groin punching, apparently an activity featured on the Comedy Central show Tosh.0.

Ultimately, Weitzel decided the activities were worthy of swift action, and on Thursday he announced the season's cancellation.

Many students last week were upset by the decision.

The parent who spoke after Monday's meeting said he understood the emotions, but hoped that some good could come out of the situation.

"I love the school," he said. "They really care about the kids."

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