Two middle school basketball coaches were arrested along with four students in connection to a hazing episode on a Texas school bus.
The hazing incident caught on video on Jan. 26 involved students forcing at least one Goddard Junior High teammate to strip to his underwear and “simulate sex,” according to news station KOSA. Students told investigators that forced sexual acts may have also occurred on the bus trip from the school in Midland, Texas.
Coaches Irving Gomez and Rogelio Gutierrez were charged on Friday with tampering or fabricating physical evidence. They’re accused of instructing the students to delete the videos and threatened them to not tell anyone, KWES reported.
According to the police report, the coaches told the young players to “quit humping back there” and yelled expletives at them.
“Unfortunately, the events that took place will result in the arrest of multiple students and two staff members. We are disappointed in the actions of those involved that led to these arrests. We support our local prosecutors’ response to the evidence discovered during our investigation,” said Chief David Colburn at Midland Independent School District’s police department.
Gomez and Gutierrez were fired from the school district on Monday. In addition to being an athletic coach, Gomez was employed as an eighth grade science teacher.
“Evidence of the behavior discovered during our investigation requires immediate action. I appreciate our police department and all district staff involved in this investigation for their professionalism and immediate attention to this matter. Their approach proves that the safety of our students is our number one priority and we will go above and beyond in protecting our students from any threat to their safety while in our care,” said Rod Schroder, Midland Independent School District superintendent, in a statement.
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