Football players at Wheaton College in Illinois charged in alleged hazing
WHEATON, Ill. -- Five football players at Wheaton College in Illinois face felony charges in connection with an alleged hazing incident, authorities confirmed Monday.
CBS Chicago reports James Cooksey; Kyler Kregel; Benjamin Pettway; Noah Spielman and Samuel TeBos have been charged with aggravated battery, mob action and unlawful restraint, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office said.
A judge has signed arrest warrants and set $50,000 bonds for the players, who were expected to turn themselves in this week.
Details about the alleged hazing were not immediately available.
The Chicago Tribune reports the alleged victim, a freshman at the time, told police he was in his dorm room when the five duct-taped his hands and feet, put a pillowcase on his head, threw him in a car, attempted to sodomize him with an object and then dumped him half-naked in an off-campus park.
Wheaton College said in a statement that other players and members of the coaching staff in March 2016 alerted college officials to an "incident."
"The College took swift action to initiate a thorough investigation," the statement says, in part. "Our internal investigation into the incident, and our engagement with an independent, third-party investigator retained by the College, resulted in a range of corrective actions. We are unable to share details on these disciplinary measures due to federal student privacy protections."
Wheaton College is reviewing its anti-hazing policies, the statement said.
"We are profoundly saddened that any member of our community could be mistreated in any way," it said.