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High School Hazing Gets Out of Control

Aired May 07, 2003 - 15:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now here's a story getting a lot of comment today. A powder puff football game that turned into this, a bloody brawl near Chicago. A few high school girls went to the hospital, some of their classmates may wind up in court.
Lilia Chacon of our affiliate station WFLD has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LILIA CHACON, WFLD REPORTER (voice-over): it was supposed to be an initiation right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Basically it started out as a fun hazing, like our initiation to our senior year.

CHACON: Glenbrook senior girls challenged the junior girls to a game of powder puff football. But it deteriorated into something much darker.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then I looked up and I saw blood. I knew that this wasn't right.

CHACON: About 17 junior girls and at least twice that many senior girls had gathered on the park district field at Trans (ph) and Lee (ph) in Northbrook. Many more came to watch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were well over 200 people at the field. And about 10 minutes into it, everything changes. Buckets were flying, hands were flying and people were bleeding. Girls were unconscious. A girl got a bucket put on the head and some guy kicked her in the head until she passed out.

CHACON: A total of five girls were so severely injured they had to be treated at Glenbrook Hospital for cuts, bruises and a broken ankle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got one of my piercings ripped out. I have four contusions on my head. I have a -- they, like, splintered my tail bone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well this is from a paint can being thrown at me and Tabasco Sauce and vinegar and stuff like that in my eye and Spam on my face and fish guts, pig ears. There was pig intestine wrapped around my neck.

CHACON: Others were forced to endure sickening humiliation. (on camera): Human urine?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CHACON: Fish guts?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CHACON: Eating mud?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CHACON (voice-over): The Cook County Forest Preserve Police are working with the sheriff's department to interview victims and witnesses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had conversations from some of the folks that were there as well as some of the victims that wound up in the hospital.

CHACON: Parents and school officials are furious. In this predominantly wealthy high school, kids are supposed to be competitive about grades, not finding ways to hurt underclassmen.

MICHAEL RIGGLE, PRINCIPAL, GLENBROOK NORTH H.S.: To see this go on as a resident of north brook and also as the principal of the high school, I'm very sad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That report from Lilia Chacon from our affiliate WFLD. Again, that hazing occurred at an event that was not school sponsored or supervised, not on the school property. That means the school does not have the jurisdiction to suspend or expel students who participated.

But Glenbrook North High School Dr. Michael Riggle told me just a little while ago he will look into the options for what the school does have for discipline and he hopes police will take some legal action.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired May 7, 2003 - 15:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now here's a story getting a lot of comment today. A powder puff football game that turned into this, a bloody brawl near Chicago. A few high school girls went to the hospital, some of their classmates may wind up in court.
Lilia Chacon of our affiliate station WFLD has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LILIA CHACON, WFLD REPORTER (voice-over): it was supposed to be an initiation right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Basically it started out as a fun hazing, like our initiation to our senior year.

CHACON: Glenbrook senior girls challenged the junior girls to a game of powder puff football. But it deteriorated into something much darker.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then I looked up and I saw blood. I knew that this wasn't right.

CHACON: About 17 junior girls and at least twice that many senior girls had gathered on the park district field at Trans (ph) and Lee (ph) in Northbrook. Many more came to watch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were well over 200 people at the field. And about 10 minutes into it, everything changes. Buckets were flying, hands were flying and people were bleeding. Girls were unconscious. A girl got a bucket put on the head and some guy kicked her in the head until she passed out.

CHACON: A total of five girls were so severely injured they had to be treated at Glenbrook Hospital for cuts, bruises and a broken ankle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got one of my piercings ripped out. I have four contusions on my head. I have a -- they, like, splintered my tail bone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well this is from a paint can being thrown at me and Tabasco Sauce and vinegar and stuff like that in my eye and Spam on my face and fish guts, pig ears. There was pig intestine wrapped around my neck.

CHACON: Others were forced to endure sickening humiliation. (on camera): Human urine?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CHACON: Fish guts?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CHACON: Eating mud?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CHACON (voice-over): The Cook County Forest Preserve Police are working with the sheriff's department to interview victims and witnesses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had conversations from some of the folks that were there as well as some of the victims that wound up in the hospital.

CHACON: Parents and school officials are furious. In this predominantly wealthy high school, kids are supposed to be competitive about grades, not finding ways to hurt underclassmen.

MICHAEL RIGGLE, PRINCIPAL, GLENBROOK NORTH H.S.: To see this go on as a resident of north brook and also as the principal of the high school, I'm very sad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That report from Lilia Chacon from our affiliate WFLD. Again, that hazing occurred at an event that was not school sponsored or supervised, not on the school property. That means the school does not have the jurisdiction to suspend or expel students who participated.

But Glenbrook North High School Dr. Michael Riggle told me just a little while ago he will look into the options for what the school does have for discipline and he hopes police will take some legal action.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com