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MILTON, Vt. (AP) — Five school district employees failed to follow antibullying policies involving a varsity football team's hazing rituals, an independent investigation has found.
Five men ranging in age from 18 to 20 were charged in connection to initiations at homes and at Milton High School in 2011 and 2012. The family of 17-year old Jordan Preavy says he killed himself after being a victim of hazing and sexual assault on the team.
The investigation, ordered by the school board in September, was designed to determine if district administrators and employees followed all rules, regulations and policies designed to protect children. The Burlington Free Press obtained the report (http://bfpne.ws/1Ncu5TS) through a public-records request.
In it, retired Vermont State Police Capt. Dan Troidl said there was evidence Milton School District Superintendent John Barone spoke to the high school principal and the then-athletic director about the Preavy hazing case. Troidl said a decision was then made not to report the incident to state child welfare officials.
Troidl said the principal, Anne Blake, failed to write a report after learning about the Preavy suicide and noted the "perpetrator" was no longer a student as required under the hazing policy.
Scott Thompson, who was assistant principal, failed to notify a second boy's parents after seeing a Facebook post involving bullying and harassment, Troidl said.
Troidl concluded two other employees — the athletic director and a teacher — did make efforts to follow the hazing policy but "failed to fully comply" by not reporting suspected bullying to state child welfare officials.
Attempts to reach Barone, Blake and Thompson were not immediately successful.
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
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