Milton School Board OKs investigation

MILTON – The School Board voted Monday to seek an independent investigation into whether the School District mishandled the recently uncovered football hazing scandal.

The move came at the request of School Trustee Karen LaFond during the board meeting. She said it was critical to know whether all policies and procedures were followed.

The move also comes on the heels of an online petition drive that surfaced late last week calling for action.

By Monday afternoon, more than 260 people had signed the petition asking for an independent investigation into the Milton Town School District's handling of hazing complaints.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED:

Milton principal bills district for legal fees

Milton police investigate report of sexual assault

Since police ordered five former football players into criminal court on assault charges from 2011 and 2012, questions have surfaced as to what Milton school administrators knew about hazing and when they each learned about it.

The board took the action after listening to comments from residents and employees for about 90 minutes.

The vote was 4-0 with Trustee Jim Lyons abstaining. Lyons said he preferred to wait until after Oct. 3 when a public forum on hazing is planned.

Superintendent John Barone told the School Board earlier this month that he opted not to conduct his own investigation into hazing reports in part because of the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations' thorough probe.

The criminal investigation revealed Milton football players held initiations that included sexually assaulting younger players with broom sticks or pool cues, court records showed.

The online petition noted that since the hazing became public "we must insist upon change in our school district. We must remove the 'culture' in our schools that allows hazing, bullying, assaults to happen."

It goes on to say, "The only way to remove this culture is to investigate the administration and make the decisions that are in the best interest of our CHILDREN. The administration has shown that their interest lies in their own lives not the children they have sworn to protect by becoming educators."

Some people signing the petition listed Milton as their address, while others said they had previously lived in Milton or attended the high school.

Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com. Follow Mike on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD.