Two West Potomac students charged with hazing

West Potomac High School

Two West Potomac High School students have been charged with misdemeanor hazing related to a locker room incident that occurred before a baseball game in 2016, the Fairfax County Police announced Thursday afternoon.

The two students, who are now 17, were not identified due to their age.

The charges come more than two months after the school announced March 10 that the police and Fairfax County Public Schools were looking into allegations of “harassment and other inappropriate behavior.” The police later confirmed that they were investigating allegations of hazing and sexual abuse.

The FCPS investigation into the misconduct concluded in late March. Citing student privacy, an FCPS spokesman did not say what the disciplinary measures taken against the students included. FOX5 previously reported that three students were disciplined. 

FCPS reiterated today that they could not elaborate on specific disciplinary measures, and said the school cooperated with the police during their investigation. 

“School administrators began an investigation in March immediately after being made aware of the specific allegations and cooperated with law enforcement as they conducted their own investigation,” FCPS spokesman John Torre said in the statement. “The school’s investigation concluded and resulted in appropriate disciplinary consequences being assigned to those responsible. Student disciplinary matters are confidential under privacy laws.”

The police said Thursday in a press release that “a number” of students and school staff were interviewed by detectives from the Major Crimes Bureau during the course of the investigation to see if the allegations “rose to a criminal level.”

“After consultation with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County, petitions were issued for the two students, both now 17 years old,” the FCPD said.

On April 11, West Potomac baseball coach Jim Sullivan resigned. He told FOX5 that his decision was unrelated to the investigation, but declined to talk further. An assistant coach, Scott Nelson, resigned from his position around the time the investigation started.