U. of Northern Colorado Athlete Paralyzed in Hazing Incident
A member of the University of Northern Colorado’s baseball team was paralyzed from the chest down in a hazing incident last month.
Kevin Wolitzky, an 18-year-old freshman, broke two bones in his neck and bruised his spinal cord when he slid head-first into a pool of mud.
According to Mr. Wolitzky and other team members, the injury occurred after the team’s coach, Terry Hensley, canceled practice because of wet conditions. The athletes said older members of the team told freshman players to report to the field, stand in line and sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” strip to their underwear, and then take turns sliding into a mud pool.
Before the practice, the team’s coaches and seniors had been summoned to a meeting with a university official who had heard rumors that hazing was being planned. Mr. Hensley, the team’s coach, then called a team meeting to tell players that the university did not permit hazing, and that penalties could include suspension.
After the incident, athletics-department officials suspended Marty Lamb, a student-assistant coach. The university said he had known about plans for the hazing ritual, but had failed to stop it.
Moderator: I read that Mr. Wolitzky wore a halo fto aid in rehabilitation of his broken neck but did eventually return to school. The question is why the season continued at all for the rest of the team.
