*WARNING: This article contains disturbing and/or upsetting content.
A sixth alleged victim has filed a notice of claim in connection with a sexual assault scandal that was unveiled at Hamilton High School in Chandler earlier this year.
A spokesperson with the Chandler Unified School District confirmed on Sept. 7 the family filed the notice asking for $10 million in “unspeakable damages.”
The notice of claim filed by attorney John Torgenson explains that the sixth victim was sexually assaulted on Jan. 10, 2017 during a football training off-season class.
According to the family, the student entered the Hamilton High locker room and was immediately surrounded by football players yelling “fresh meat,” the claim explained. When the student began to change into his workout attire, varsity players reportedly surrounded him while he wore nothing but his underwear.
The claim says that he was held down and his boxers were removed. He was then hoisted up while several people began touching him inappropriately and sexually penetrating him with an unknown object and fingers.
The paperwork states that the abuse continued for three minutes and several players recorded the molestation and posted it to the social media app Snapchat.
According to the notice, the victim’s mother and teachers noticed “his whole attitude changed” after the abuse; his grades suffered and he failed several of his classes.
The teen’s mother first learned about the incident in April after the Chandler Police Department called her and revealed that her son was an alleged victim.
The boy’s mother then approached coach Steve Belles in “disbelief” but was reassured that the school would look into the accusations by interviewing a student, the paperwork said.
The alleged victim and his mother then met with a district official to discuss transferring him to a different school, however, after extensive questioning, their request was not immediately approved and the boy remained at the school for several weeks.
He began receiving threats over social media saying “Let’s fight” and “snitch.” A teacher also reportedly questioned him in front of an entire class asking why he and his family went to the district office.
The notice states that as a result of the sexual abuse, his social life has deteriorated and his previously open relationship with his mother has become "non-existent". The student's family says he no longer feels comfortable talking with her and only opens up to his therapist.
The notice of claim is the first step toward filing a lawsuit.
Authorities first launched an investigation in February 2017 after four victims accused Hamilton High football players of molesting them between September 2015 and January 2017 in the team’s locker room.
The school’s principal, athleticdirectorand football coach have since been reassigned within the district.
