Hazing allegations rock high school football team on Staten Island

Games and practices have been suspended after hazing allegations rocked the football team at Susan Wagner High School on Staten Island. The alleged hazing reportedly took place during football camp upstate in August. Now the football program is on hold while school officials investigate.

One volunteer coach has been suspended and three players have been kicked out of the program, Fox 5 has learned. But some parents and players said they are being unfairly punished because of the actions of a few. At least one parent is alleging that upperclassmen targeted freshman, shooting them with pellet guns, hitting them with broomsticks, and drawing pictures of genitals on them with magic marker, and rubbing behinds in their faces while they slept.

"We have no tolerance for this type of behavior and the matter is under investigation," a spokesman for the Department of Education said in an email. "One volunteer coach has been suspended during the ongoing investigation and practices have been halted."

The Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation is probing the allegations and is not commenting because of the open investigation.

With Fox5NY.com staff