No charges in Olympia student hazing incident
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Whatcom County prosecutor's office has declined to file criminal charges in connection with a hazing incident involving Capital High School basketball players from Olympia who were attending a camp in June at Western Washington University.
Deputy Prosecutor Warren Page told The Olympian the parents of the main victim did not want the case prosecuted.
The incident occurred on June 29 while players were staying in a dormitory. Coach Doug Galloway reported it to campus police who found that some sexual contact occurred when eight older boys stormed the room of three younger boys and wrestled them to the floor.
The district held Galloway accountable and decided not to renew his contract as basketball coach. But, parents complained, and the school board will reconsider that decision at Monday's meeting.
Deputy Prosecutor Warren Page told The Olympian the parents of the main victim did not want the case prosecuted.
The incident occurred on June 29 while players were staying in a dormitory. Coach Doug Galloway reported it to campus police who found that some sexual contact occurred when eight older boys stormed the room of three younger boys and wrestled them to the floor.
The district held Galloway accountable and decided not to renew his contract as basketball coach. But, parents complained, and the school board will reconsider that decision at Monday's meeting.
With little to go on here it looks like the coach did the right thing by reporting the incident, and is now being punished for it? As for the so called hazing. What has this concept ever accomplished? Fear and hate your more experienced and senior team mates, is that the goal? Find the kids with self esteem issues and drive them to the point of suicide, is that a successful hazing? I was always the bigger stronger kid all through my school days so I never really ran into any of this, and would never tolerate any of it when it came with in my orbit. These camps are bought and paid for by the parents of the kids who are in attendance.  They expect that this investment in their kid will improve the kids athletic talent, as well as get the team to work better together. I don't think the parents of the younger kids really appreciate paying for having their kid come home with nightmares of being gang raped. So if you want to fault the coach I suppose you could for not having more of an iron fist when it comes to teaching the older kids on the team to be mentors, and not fear mongers to the younger ones. As for the older kids who did what ever this really was. I hope they get called out and publicly exposed for the worthless cowards that they are.
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big bully. coach should be ashamed for beating up on that kid like that.
Wow folks...this is just a brief summary of the incident. It doesn't even come close to including any details of what happened, yet you all are very quick to judge. Before you assume you know the whole story and decide to place all the blame on the coach, how about you research the situation. Or better yet, leave it to the people that were actually involved in the situation. Just my thoughts...
@Just a nobody... My guess? People are confusing this innocent coach with the POS Gig Harbor teacher who bullied that boy.
The school district better give that coach his job back. HE DID NOTHING WRONG and should NOT be held accountable ESPECIALLY when the kids aren't being charged.
That didn't sound like Hazing, more closer to rape. Was that Penn State?
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campus police who found that some sexual contact occurred when eight older boys stormed the room of three younger boys and wrestled them to the floor.
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@FreeCoffeeNow! Why are you getting on the coach? He didn't do a effing thing wrong. Are you confusing the innocent Olympia coach (in this article) with the teacher in Gig Harbor who bullied the kid and is getting away with it?
 @Tattooed_Angel Big OOPS on my part; and thanks for drawing my attention. I've been so torqued about the child attack that I didn't notice the town name at all, only what appears to be standard lack of accountability in play. Still, as in this case, were any of the hazing kids immediately removed from the team? If not, the same basic scenario of non accountability exists there at Capitol High. The federally mandated zero tolerance law is  pretty simple and clear, surprisingly so. Limited apology to Doug Galloway means I'm sorry for misidentifying you, but have no idea whether you deserve a full apology or not. If it turns out you do deserve it, I'll give it in person when my kids' school comes to Olympia.
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Well at least the prosecutors have made the right call. Hopefully the school district will do the same.
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@FreeCoffeeNow! @Zoso Re-read the article. The coach was the one that reported it, he didn't commit the offense. Would you like to rethink your response?
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@FreeCoffeeNow! YOU ARE CONFUSING THIS INNOCENT COACH WITH THE POS GIG HARBOR TEACHER. THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE! This coach is the innocent one who was fired for nothing.
Wait a minute. This went from a sexual molestation case to a hazing "incident?" Sounds to me like some one is trying to cover something up here. Glad to see that at least the coach isn't being held accountable.
 @Barlion Could be that some student or parent with dollar-signs in their eyes was blowing something minor out of proportion in hopes of a payday.
That's the problem with trying to pass judgement without having all the relevant information... there's always a good chance that one will end up looking foolish for having jumped to the wrong conclusion..