CHANDLER, AZ — A former student accused in Hamilton High School's alleged hazing scandal was sentenced to six months of supervised probation on Friday after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated assault.
In January, three years after Hamilton High School's alleged hazing scandal, it was announced that Nathaniel Thomas, who was 17 at the time of the alleged hazing, would be tried as an adult on nine charges, including sexual assault, kidnapping and child molestation.
As a result of the plea agreement, those charges were dropped. Thomas' felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor because he fully complied with his release conditions.
Previously, Thomas' lawyers told ABC15 that Thomas was a scapegoat and that the county should have dropped the case entirely.
Two other students connected to the case were originally charged in juvenile court. School administrators were never prosecuted. Hamilton's former head football coach, athletic director and principal were all named in a civil suit that was later settled.
In a statement released to ABC15, John K. Dosdall, an attorney for Nathaniel Thomas said:
"We are satisfied with the outcome of today’s hearing. After working closely with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, we were able to secure a resolution that we believe will provide Nathaniel with the best opportunity to move forward with his life. For the past three years, this has been a very difficult experience for Nathaniel and his family, but Nathaniel has done exceptionally well given the circumstances. While Nathaniel was the only individual charged as an adult in this matter, we feel the plea agreement and sentence he received today fairly reflect events that occurred in high school and satisfies the need for justice."
