Humboldt State president bans sports team after hazing incident

The president of Humboldt State University on Tuesday suspended the school’s men’s soccer team for the coming academic year as a result of a new recruit hazing ritual involving most of the team’s players.

Rollin Richmond made the announcement as the university released its findings from an investigation into the Aug. 4 incident at an off-campus house party where new players, most of them incoming freshmen, were ordered to perform humiliating acts and to consume large amounts of alcohol.

“Following careful investigation including interviews with team members, the university has concluded that an incident of hazing did occur, and that it placed the lives of two students in real jeopardy,” Richmond said in a letter to the campus.

Along with prohibiting the 33-member soccer team from competing in any California Collegiate Athletic Conference or university-sanctioned games during the 2012-2013 season, Humboldt plans to discipline individual students, he said. Many Lumberjacks were involved in or witnessed the hazing, he said.

“I hope that the team discipline, along with individual disciplinary actions, send a clear message that this was unacceptable. Hazing is not tolerated at Humboldt State, not in athletics and not in any other area,” Richmond said.