George Co. prep baseball players accused of assault
Published 6:04 pm Friday, April 6, 2007
The parents of a 16-year-old student manager on the George County High School baseball team have accused seven players of assaulting their son.
The family’s complaint alleges the baseball players held their son down on a school bus, tore off his pants, covered his mouth and took pictures of his genitals.
The family filed charges against the players who were released to the custody of their parents. Authorities would not say what the charges were but said none of the seven were charged as adults.
The George County School Board met on the issue in closed session on Tuesday.
Kelly Pendergrass Dees, an attorney representing the family, said the school board told the parents it “intends to continue its investigation in this matter and make a determination with regard to the consequences, if any, the students involved will face.
Dees said the family wants the school board to enforce its own policies and procedures in disciplining the seven involved.
School Board attorney Mark Maples said in a statement: “We believe all students are innocent until proven guilty and we will be taking such action as may be established through the proper investigation and court action. We are … supporting our policy that all are innocent until proven guilty.”
Family members said the 16-year-old has not returned to school. They said the principal and the family are working together to allow the student to complete his class credits this semester.
The incident took place on a bus while the team was returning home from a baseball game on March 22.