Ashland Teens Accused of Sexual Assault, Hazing

The Ashland Police Department today announced that four Ashland teens, including three Ashland High football players, are facing sexual assault charges. The charges result from incidents that occurred at a football camp at Linfield College June 21-24. After receiving a complaint on July 9, police launched an investigation that included 48 forensic interviews with members of the team. Police say the school administration assisted with the investigation at every point. According to a report in the Medford Mail Tribune, Ashland School Superintendent Julie Di Chiro says Coach Charlie Hall fulfilled his responsibility to report the incident to the Department of Human Services. The investigation revealed that five members of the team were coerced into what one investigator described as "embarrassing" and "degrading" behavior by three other members of the team, plus one 17-year old non-Ashland High student who had practiced with the team on four occasions during the summer. The four suspects face charges of attempted unlawful sexual penetrations, conspiracy to commit unlawful sexual penetration and coercion. Police are pointing out that there is no indication of any "long standing patterns of hazing or coercion within the school's football program."