UPDATED: Michigan Prep Football Power Forfeits Game Due To Hazing
WARREN, Mich. (AP) - Police are investigating an all-boys Catholic high school in suburban Detroit after the football powerhouse said it would forfeit a Friday playoff game and end the season due to acts of hazing by players.
"It became clear to us that the right thing to do was to live by what we say we are: 'Builders of Boys, Makers of Men,' and to not play the game under this cloud and under these troubling issues we are looking at," said John Knight, president of De La Salle Collegiate in Warren.
Families were informed on Thursday.
"What makes this decision heart-wrenching is that we are aware of the fact that there are young men who are suffering and were not involved in this situation," Knight said. "Their disappointment is understood and felt by the administration. For that, we feel sad, too."
The school said some players were aware of the hazing but didn't report it. No details were released.
"The hazing has deeper roots, and is more pervasive than originally thought," De La Salle said.
Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said school administrators met with detectives Friday. He promised a "thorough investigation."
The Pilots had won two consecutive state championships. They were scheduled to play Birmingham Groves in the playoffs Friday.
© 2019 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
