The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Saturday that it is looking into the roles of “everyone involved” in the alleged attack of a southeast Georgia high school football player.
At least three Camden County High School coaches are accused of looking on last week as a junior varsity player was beaten and put in a trash can by several teammates. The incident was captured on video and posted to social media, but has since been removed.
Local authorities have asked the GBI to conduct a criminal investigation, the agency confirmed Saturday.
Camden County is about five hours southeast of Atlanta, just west of Cumberland Island and about 15 miles north of the Florida line.
“The GBI investigation is a fact finding search for the truth to uncover any criminal violations that may have occurred during the incident,” GBI spokesman Scott Dutton said in an emailed statement.
According to a police incident report, the junior varsity player was kicked, thrown headfirst into a trash can and rolled down a hallway following a Sept. 7 practice at Camden County High School. The alleged attack happened three days after the player sat on the opposing team's sideline during a Camden County-Glynn Academy varsity game.
The player reportedly wore the opposing team’s color in support of his girlfriend, who is a Glynn Academy cheerleader. According to the Brunswick News, Glynn Academy’s supporters were participating in a “blackout” and dressed in black for the game.
Four students “received consequences for their participation in the incident,” Camden County Schools said in a statement released Thursday. The Brunswick News reported they did not participate in Friday’s game against Brunswick High School.
Local media reports suggested that three coaches observed — and possibly encouraged — the attack, but the school system said their investigation “did not indicate any wrongdoing by adults.”
“Schools officials are cooperating fully with law enforcement and, should their investigation reveal new evidence that adults were complicit in any of the events that occurred, they will be held accountable for their actions,” the statement said.
Dutton said Saturday that the GBI is investigating the roles of “everyone involved” in the incident, including coaches.
“When the investigation is complete it will be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office for any action they deem appropriate,” Dutton said.
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