A 23-page federal lawsuit was filed Friday against the Hamilton County Schools in connection with the rape of an Ooltewah High freshman basketball player last Dec. 23 at a cabin in Gatlinburg. It charged "unchecked hazing and sexual harassment" went on at Ooltewah High.
The suit that was filed in behalf of the 15-year-old who was severely injured when a pool cue was inserted into his rectum also names principal Jim Jarvis, athletic director Jesse Nayadley and basketball coach Andre "Tank" Montgomery.
Those two are no longer at Ooltewah High.
A joint statement from Hamilton County Board of Education Chairman Rhonda Thurman and Interim Superintendent Kirk Kelly says, "The Hamilton County Board of Education has received a copy of a lawsuit filed today against the Board, Jim Jarvis, Jesse Nayadley, and Andre Montgomery. Providing a safe, secure environment for all of our students continues to be the top priority of our school system. Since this matter is now the subject of litigation in federal court, we cannot comment further."
Three players on the team have been convicted, but not yet sentenced, in the case. One student was found guilty of aggravated rape, while two others were guilty of aggravated assault.
The suit says that the senior who used the pool cue earlier beat the freshman in study hall and called him vile names. It says the coaches referred to the players as "ladies" to demean them.
It says freshmen players had to be "beat in" and undergo "the rack" in which they ran a gauntlet of players in a darkened locker room.
The suit asks compensatory and punitive damages.