The home field of the Lake Zurich Bears high school football team hosted the Nov. 5 IHSA Class 7A playoff contest with Fenwick. District 95 chose not to forfeit the contest, despite a hazing incident, two days before.

A hazing incident involving the Lake Zurich High School varsity football team is still being investigated by the district’s Board of Education and the village’s Public Safety Department, and winding its course to a private defense attorney’s office gathering information in advance of a civil lawsuit on behalf of a victimized student athlete. The district’s response has been assailed as mishandled by parents and residents, leaving many questions.

The issues revolve around “egregious,” and “inappropriate activity by members of the football team in the locker room,” according to a document sent to the players and their parents, following a Nov. 3 team dinner. The team was to play Fenwick in the IHSA Class 7A playoffs Nov. 5, when a staff member alerted the school’s board of the incident.

Head football coach David Profitt and assistant coach Chad Beaver were placed on paid administrative leave, and denied participation in the game. Rather than forfeit the contest, the district forwarded an anti-hazing document requiring the athletes complete an online hazing prevention course (http://www.lz95.org/hazing_prevention_powerpoint/), perform 10 hours of community service, prepare a program aimed middle school students on bullying and hazing, and attend a workshop on hazing prevention.

If the team members did not sign, they would be barred from playing the game and any future extracurricular activities through the school year. The team played the home game, and lost 20-14, with substitute coaches.

In a Nov. 10 newsletter, signed by school principal Kent Nightlinger and district superintendent Kaine Osburn, it stated: “While there is little we can say about this matter, due both to privacy laws and our determination to act in the best interests of our students, there are a few points we hope will reassure you as we move forward: The district acted promptly in this matter by launching a full investigation with the involvement of all necessary parties.

“The focus of the investigation is broad; it began by investigating student behavior, and is continuing by looking at supervisory issues and program protocols. The findings of any student or staff investigation will be resolved in accordance with our policies and school code. The district will make whatever changes are necessary and appropriate going forward to improve our practices or programs.”

In addition to district officials reviewing the incident through a local law firm, the Lake Zurich police department was contacted to investigate the matter, and their review is ongoing. “There’s little that we can divulge, due to the fact that juveniles are involved and the accompanying privacy laws,” said Village Police Chief Steve Husak. “We have reached out to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and their juvenile advocacy section on how to proceed.

“They are providing guidance on what they’d like to see done to obtain data, and acquiring the pertinent information within procedures,” he said. “Once that data has been compiled, it will be forwarded to them … they will be making the determinations on any criminal charges. We’re working on completing our end of this investigation, as we speak.”

Also gathering information are investigators from the Chicago-based firm of Romanucci and Blandin LLC, ahead of filing civil litigation in defending a student athlete that was hazed in the Lake Zurich locker room. The firm previously represented five former Maine West high school student athletes that stated they were physically assaulted in 2007 and 2008 hazing rituals.

The firm reached a $1 million settlement Nov. 7 with Maine Township High School District 207, with details that included no admission of guilt by the school district. Romanucci said the incidents at Lake Zurich were far worse than at Maine West.

“The reason this type of activity is perpetuated, and not addressed, is that no one will come forward,” he said, when contacted by phone. “Someone has to come forward, and that takes a tremendous amount of courage. My sources have told me that this has been going on for quite a while there, and the conduct is widespread. If the allegations are proven true, this is very serious.

“There’s no time frame, as we’re still completing our pre-trial investigations and moving forward as expeditiously as possible,” he said.

The Nov. 16 board meeting brought out residents and parents of students to express dissatisfaction with the district’s response to the incident, and a “blanket” document for player signatures. Romanucci announced the intentions to proceed with a civil suit, earlier that afternoon.

When contacted, Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95’s communications director Jean Malek indicated the Nov. 10 newsletter would stand as the district’s response to the incident, for the present time.

In the letter’s closing section, it said: “We will not release specific information about student behavior or discipline, and nor will we confirm or deny any asserted ‘facts.’ We assure you that we would afford these same protections to your child(ren) as well. As you know, rumors often run rampant and are not always truthful. Please be mindful that rumors can be unfairly damaging to individuals who may or may not be involved.