On Dec. 17, County Attorney B.D. Griffin released a statement on the final investigation results concluding that no criminal charges were pressed. The incident was first reported to the district via an anonymous report Sept. 27.
“My office has concluded our investigation of the matter involving hazing incidents among the varsity football students at Montgomery High School,” the statement read. “While community standards and rules of appropriate conduct were violated, we have found no evidence of serious criminal conduct and will not formally prosecute any individuals involved.”
Because juveniles were involved, Assistant County Attorney Adam Anderson said the office will not release any material—including via public information request—related to the investigation, including transcripts of interviews with names redacted.
The statement also said MISD has taken “significant steps” to prevent similar incidents from occurring and that the district’s reaction and revised procedures demonstrate MISD takes hazing incidents seriously.
According to an email sent from MISD Athletic Director Clint Hears and Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Duane McFadden, the district has taken the following steps to respond to the September incident as well as to prevent future incidents:
- All students directly involved have received consequences per the student code of conduct. The district forfeited a varsity football game as result of hazing.
- Kevin Atlas, a national speaker, spoke to the school about supporting each other and making positive choices. Atlas met with all athletic groups to discuss how positive choices affect athletes specifically, and he spoke to the students directly involved in the hazing incident about their actions.
- The district has requested that parents who sponsor any student group or team dinners off campus and during non-school hours strongly consider moving the events to local restaurant locations.
- The district has secured Dennis Goodwin from the Anti-Hazing Collaborative to provide additional training for all secondary coaches and sponsors and staff on hazing.
- MISD has developed new requirements for coaches, sponsors and staff that mandate a review of hazing guidelines with all parents prior to the start of school, sport or activity.
- Every head coach, sponsor and staff member who works with any student group at the secondary level has met with their students and discussed hazing and the district’s zero-tolerance policy
- The district is in the process of evaluating and purchasing signage stating that hazing is unacceptable and detailing how to report it.
The board also reported its academic performance goals and objectives for the 2020-2021 school year at its Dec. 17 board meeting, which include improving external and internal communication.
MISD board member Matt Fuller said he is aware the public may not find the final investigations results satisfactory, but he said he is satisfied with it.
“I believe [in] the findings of the investigation,” Fuller said. “I know there’s going to be a lot of people who say this was [a] cover-up. A lot of people did say we don’t have the full story ... But every agency in our county that has been involved with this has done a thorough investigation and has found that no criminal [or] sexual sort of thing occurred.”
Fuller said individuals from the football team did violate the code of conduct on hazing, but he affirmed his belief most of the widely-circulated details were just rumors.
“The horrible things that we heard on social media were not founded,” he said.
During the months-long investigation, multiple parents and residents came forward during public meetings to express frustration with the district and its apparent lack of communication. Fuller said he is aware that some community members believe MISD has a culture of “covering up” incidents or retaliating against victims who speak up, and he said the district is working to change this perception.
“I’m working with other board members who are trying to root out some of those concerns and [to] say, 'This isn’t going to happen. This isn’t the way we do it,'” he said. “I believe the board has made a lot of improvements in asking questions and getting answers.”
