DA receives police report on Lisbon High football hazing investigation
Oct. 16—Neil McLean Jr., the district attorney for Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties, said his office has received the Lisbon police report on its investigation into hazing allegations involving members of the Lisbon High football team.
"It appears as would be expected that they conducted a lengthy investigation," McLean wrote in an email to the Press Herald. "Now we will need to do our due diligence in a thorough review of all the information provided before any decision on next steps are determined. I am not able to provide a timeline for that to be completed at this time."
Lisbon Police sent its findings from a criminal investigation to the district attorney on Wednesday, and parents at a school board meeting that night criticized the district's handling of its investigation.
"This is being forwarded for review of the entire case," Lisbon Police Chief Ryan McGee said on Wednesday. "It will be reviewed by the DA's office and they will be deciding whether or not to bring charges."
McGee said he expects that charges "could happen quickly" if the DA does decide to pursue a criminal case.
The Lisbon police have been investigating a specific criminal complaint. The investigation is still open because people have continued to come forward with information, McGee said. He would not say where or when the alleged incident occurred, or how many suspects or alleged victims are involved.
"I can't comment on the evidence. Sorry. It's pretty complex and juveniles are involved," McGee said.
The Lisbon School Department has hired Portland law firm Drummond Woodsum to conduct its investigation into the hazing allegations, at least some of which are believed to have happened on school grounds.
Lisbon Schools Superintendent Richard Green said Wednesday afternoon that he was aware the police investigation had been forwarded to the DA's office, "but we have not been provided with any of the details."
During a school committee meeting Wednesday night, Green said that not much could be shared about the school's ongoing investigation.
Corrinne Turner, a parent of a junior at Lisbon High School, said the process of the investigation in the first few days was unacceptable as her son was interviewed without her knowledge. She said her son began struggling at home and at school after athletes on the football team were singled out in front of classmates for interviews about the alleged hazing. She said students and staff have been making remarks about the football team and its athletes.
"He had no idea why he was being questioned. ... He was very upset, very emotional and he thought he was going to jail," Turner said. "He had no idea why he was being questioned and at that point I was very, very angry at why I hadn't been notified so I could be there to support my child."
Like many parents and coaches at the meeting, Turner said that the school district needs to focus on the mental health of the athletes and to dedicate resources to them. Turner said the only mental health outreach offered to the student athletes was by asking them, in a group of about 15, "if anyone needed anything."
"My son was interviewed Oct. 2," Turner continued. "That's nearly a month we're looking at where nobody has helped my son. ... I haven't seen anything from anyone asking how he is doing."
When Green told committee members that school administrators had reached out to parents with resources for their children, many parents in the room shook their heads.
Turner approached the podium again and berated Green for not caring and for lying about the outreach to parents, which she, and other parents in the audience, said never happened.
Green replied that in his more than two decades in the district, he has always put students and their well-being first. So far as administrators reaching out to parents offering resources, he said he simply reported to the board what school administrators shared with him.
"Mistakes have been made," Green said. "This is the first time we've ever dealt with something like this. ... I will follow up and find out why those (emails) were not sent."
The hazing allegations first came to light on Oct. 4, when Green announced that the school's varsity football team would forfeit its game that night at Mountain Valley.
Lisbon has since forfeited a second game and the school announced that seven football players have been removed from the team. Lisbon has not allowed any football-related activities since its last practice, on Oct. 3.
Green said that no decision had been made as of late Wednesday afternoon regarding Saturday's game with Medomak Valley.
McGee wouldn't comment on the school's separate investigation, but said that he has been encouraged by the "good working relationship" between the community, school and police.
"This is an extremely small group of individuals. I would say Lisbon has a strong culture of being a supportive community and we're dealing with a very small group of juveniles that really doesn't reflect the community," McGee said.
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