CHANDLER, Ariz. — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
Former educators, administrators from Hamilton High School were reprimanded Monday by state officials after an investigation in 2017 uncovered alleged acts of sexual assault taking place in the school's locker room.
After years of lawsuits and criminal charges, the hazing scandal that rocked the East Valley high school a few years ago has taken another turn this week after the Arizona Board of Education took action against the administrators involved in the misconduct.
The hazing rituals first came to light after the Chandler Police Department was told by parents of football players that the students were allegedly physically and sexually assaulting each other on campus.
Steve Belles, the school's head football coach at the time, and Shawn Rustad, the district's athletic director, were accused of not taking enough action to protect students from the abuse.
Ken James, the school's principal at the time, and Manny Palomarez, Hamilton's assistant football coach, were also blamed for not ensuring students were properly monitored while in the locker room, board records show.
Lawsuits filed by the hazing victims accused the school's staff of not reporting the violence to police, which they're obligated to do under the state's laws.
But the Maricopa County Attorney Office's determined there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges against Belles, Rustad, or James.
The education board, which has the authority to strip teachers of their credentials, voted Monday to issue letters of censure to James, Rustad, and Palomarez for the hazing situation.
Belles had his teaching credentials suspended for two years. All four educators were instructed by the board to undergo classes on recognizing the signs of bullying and hazing.
Before the board's vote, Belles told board members said he's spent the last few years trying to become a better leader for students.
"This experience has knocked me to my knees," Belles said. "It's made me question a lot of things."
He told the board he strives to be more transparent and empathetic in the future.
"I'm incredibly confident I will be able to gain the trust of my students, families, community because I won't remain on my knees, no question. I will stand tall," Belles added.
The board had the option to issue a letter of censure to Belles, but most board members felt his actions warranted a more severe reprimand.
James and Rustad still work as administrators for the Chandler Unified School District, according to the CUSD website.
Nathaniel Thomas, the only Hamilton student to be criminally charged as an adult for the hazing, pled guilty to three counts of aggravated assault and was sentenced to six months of probation.
RELATED: Former Hamilton High School football coach Steve Belles could be hired at different Valley school
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