Las Vegas NowHigh School Hazing Questions

High School Hazing Questions

A high school boy is under house arrest charged with sexually assaulting another boy during a hazing incident. Several other members of the Sierra Vista High School basketball team were involved. The incident has raised a lot of questions about the prevalence of hazing at our schools.

Before the players suit up and hit the field at Cheyenne High School and before fans pack the stands to root them on, there is a serious conversation that takes place between the school's staff, their athletes, and their families.

Dr. Jeff Geihs said, "We want to eliminate a culture of any type of hazing because if you allow them to go this far, then what's the next step?"

Dr. Jeff Geihs is the principal at Cheyenne High School. He says principals throughout the valley are aware of the threat of hazing. "We just don't tolerate it, and that is communicated clearly to the players, to the families, not only by me but the coaches in particular."

Geihs says the school district gives them guidelines about how to address hazing. At Cheyenne, they try to add to those guidelines. Before every season there is a family night where athletes are warned not to haze. And if they're victimized, they are told to tell an adult about it.

Charles Anthony is Cheyenne's football coach. He says, "The main thing we talk about is the kids' safety, no hazing, doing things right respecting others."

It is the same zero-tolerance policy throughout the county. The old philosophy of "boys will be boys" is no longer acceptable. Those caught hazing can be suspended, even expelled.

Geihs continued, "But the whole idea, Adrian, is that a culture is created that does not tolerate students being harassed or hazed."

Dr. Geihs says other principals feel the same way he does. "The last thing we would ever want to happen is have a student injured or hurt, whether it's physically, mentally, whatever," he said.

Dr. Geihs says he hasn't heard of any hazing incidents at his school during his tenure.

The school district provides manuals with guidelines about hazing to all of its coaches.

Email reporter Adrian Arambulo at aarambulo@klastv.com