CHANDLER, Ariz. — New details in a Hamilton High School hazing case. Defense lawyers say they have videos that show the victims contradicting their own claims.
Last year, five alleged victims filed a civil lawsuit against the Chandler school district, the coaches, the school principal, the alleged abusers, claiming coaches and school staff conspired not to report the abuse to police and failed to prevent more sexual abuse attacks or punish the perpetrators.
In a motion granted, by federal Judge Susan Bolton, lawyers who represent the Chandler Unified School District are providing evidence videos showing the victims “denying allegation of their complaints.”
The videos are not public and it’s unknown what they show or when or where they were recorded.
12 News contacted the school district’s lawyers but has not heard back. The victims’ lawyer, Daniel Raynak, says he’s not commenting on those videos because he will only talk about a case before it begins or until it ends. Raynak does say he anticipates the case will go to trial next year.
Judge Bolton dismissed some claims against the district, saying staff did not have a constitutional duty to protect the students from hazing done in private by their teammates.
However, in parts of deposition documents filed in court, former Hamilton High School principal Ken James admits to Raynak the school is responsible for the safety of the students until they leave campus and go home.
According to those same documents, James is now getting paid more in his new position as the executive director of educational programs for the same school district.