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Videotaped Teen Hazing Turns Violent

Police in Glenbrook, Ill., are investigating an alleged high school hazing that was caught on tape.

The case is unusual because all of the participants involved were girls.

Older students of Glenbrook North High School allegedly forced younger students to eat raw fish, pet food and dirt. They're also accused of kicking and beating the victims during the incident. One of the victims received stitches to her head and another suffered a broken ankle.

Zach Blum, a student at the school, witnessed the Sunday event and captured some of it on tape. He visited The Early Show Wednesday to discuss what he saw. From Northbrook, Ill., the principal of Glenbrook North High School, Dr. Michael Riggle, also discussed the situation.

"It's supposed to be a football game, where the senior girls will play the junior girls. But it just turned into a hazing event," Blum explained. "The senior girls kind of just beat up on the junior girls."

The powder-puff game began years ago as a school-sponsored event that occurred on school grounds as a fundraiser to pay for homecoming activities. It was an event of role reversal — girls played flag football and the boys either coached or served as cheerleaders, according to officials. Sometime around 1979-1980, the event was getting out of control and the school canceled its sponsorship. However, students took it off campus.

As the years passed, the tradition continued and became more violent. This year, officials didn't find out about the game until it was over and students were injured.

"I guess the school didn't really know how bad it was getting," Blum said. "They didn't know people were getting hurt like this."

Riggle said he did not hear of the event until Monday, the day after the girls were injured.

"It's a very sad situation," Dr. Riggle said. "I think it's tragic, and it's certainly nothing that the school would ever condone in any way. I think that it was a horrible situation, and no human being should be subjected to the type of treatment that those girls suffered during that incident."

Blum said he realized the event was getting out of hand when one girl started bleeding from the head.

"I've been to this [event] before. And it never got this out of hand," he said. "I'm not sure why this one in particular got more out of hand than the other ones."

Although the injuries took place outside the high school's property, Dr. Riggle said the school is working with the Cooke County Sheriff's department in its investigation.

He said the school may suspend the suspected girls from extracurricular activities for violating the Code of Conduct they signed at the beginning of the school year.

"We will take a look at all the steps that we can do and take action wherever possible," Dr. Riggle said.

Police are considering criminal charges against the girls as well.

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