14 Senior High varsity boys suspended for alleged hazing

Posted: Feb 10, 2012 7:40 AM by Scott Breen - Q2 Sports
Updated: Feb 10, 2012 7:40 AM

BILLINGS - Fourteen Billings Senior varsity basketball players are suspended for an alleged hazing incident that occurred Wednesday night.

School district two superintendent Jack Copps said the players allegedly put a shock dog collar on one of the boys at a team dinner. Copps said he was notified this morning and was presented with a video of the incident when he arrived at Senior High School to address the issue.

"There was a dog collar that was used for a shocking device and other players piled on, laughing and such," Copps said. "In the end, there were 14 players that we could identify. We had the incident on video tape, so it was easy for us to understand what transpired."

"We need to be careful in how we characterize it, because it certainly is not what I would call a 'very severe' kind of hazing. Yet it was," Copps added. "That's the kind of thing we need to nip in the bud and we need to do so quickly."

Players are suspended for Thursday's game at top-ranked Billings West and for Friday's game against Hardin.