Here is the link to the Sigma Rho story
Excerpt from Masslive.com and link to full story
“We feel the school’s action was appropriate and we don’t feel any criminal charges are necessary,†Police Detective Lt. Richard Light added.
In the wake of the hazing incident, which officials have continued to decline to describe, School Superintendent Mary A. Czajkowski placed four of the district’s football coaches on paid leave and suspended four football players for 10 days.
“I’m hopeful as a community and a school system we can move beyond this,†Czajkowski said following the announcement from the district attorney’s office. “Certainly, we have all learned lessons from this.â€
The school superintendent said she plans to meet with students and parents involved in the matter as well as with coaches, Dave Stratton, the athletic director Steven Lemanski, the school principal to start the healing process. Czajkowski declined to detail the incident, saying it would not be helpful for the community or the students involved and that it clearly met the definition of hazing under the state statute.
The school superintendent had considered canceling the football team’s traditional Thanksgiving game with rivals West Springfield High School, but decided there would be enough coaches to keep students safe and enough team members left to play the game.
Despite a rousing pep rally at Agawam High School Wednesday, the football team lost to West Springfield High School 20-0.
Czajkowski has said the incident involved seven students as victims and was very clearly hazing though it did not involve physical or mental injuries. She characterized it as “a situation that went beyond towel-whipping.â€
QUESTION: I had a tough question from Shobna John in India to start my day.
Basically, the question is whether haing and ragging are the same.
That’s a good question and it made me think.
Here is a start. Feel free to jump into the discussion.
I can’t wait to save enough to study hazing in person in India and in the Philippines.
RESPONSE: One of my projects (in progress) is a book on hazing in the United States — 1873–1901.
Hazing THEN resembles ragging in some ways. Â A group of older students
descends on the newcomer and ridicules, beats, inflicts pain, etc.
There were organized beatings over a class pennant–called battle
royals.  There are  initiation-like
rituals for new students in Canada also.
But one thing IS the same–a student whose only claim to superiority
is a year or two or three of schooling takes it upon himself to abuse
a newcomer.
Our collegiate hazing is mainly among athletes and fraternity members
now. It has morphed, you might say.
Schools used to support these antics, issuing new students demeaning
beanies–a tradition that goes back to Martin Luther at Wittenberg.
That was a GOOD question–Hank Nuwer
I read tons of hazing articles. This was one of the best
I have read in terms of multiple points of view and good reporting.
The prestigious chapter that once included George W. Bush is in hot water with its international organiation.