District Attorney Neal Pinkston said Monday that officials should refrain from comment until an investigation at Ooltewah High School is complete.
The investigation was launched after three Ooltewah High basketball players were charged with the aggravated rape of a 15-year-old teammate.
Supt. Rick Smith on Monday afternoon held a press conference about the case. Sheriff Jim Hammond spoke at the press conference, and he also discussed the case in a noon speech at the Pachyderm Club.
DA Pinkston said, "Hamilton County investigators from the District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office are working to determine the scope of criminal activity that took place in Hamilton County related to assaults committed by older members of the Ooltewah boys’ basketball team against freshmen players.
The scope of the investigation also includes whether coaches and/or other school administrators hold criminal responsibility for failure to supervise students and/or failure as mandatory reporters to report child abuse."
His office said, "General Pinkston will have nothing else to say about this until the investigation is completed. He has asked HCSO to also refrain from public comment while the investigation is conducted, citing the Tennessee Supreme Court Rules of Professional Responsibility, Rule 3.8 which reads in pertinent part:
"(f) except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor's action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, shall refrain from making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused and exercise reasonable care to prevent employees of the prosecutor's office from making an extrajudicial statement that the prosecutor would be prohibited from making under RPC 3.6 or this Rule; and discourage investigators, law enforcement personnel, and other persons assisting or associated with the prosecutor in a criminal matter from making an extrajudicial statement that the prosecutor would be prohibited from making under RPC 3.6 or this Rule.
"If anyone has knowledge of any crimes related to this investigation having taken place within Hamilton County, they should call the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at 423-209-7000."