In a disturbing case that has garnered national attention, eleven lacrosse players from Westhill High School in Syracuse, New York, have been charged with misdemeanor unlawful imprisonment following a hazing incident involving a younger teammate. The students surrendered to the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department after District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick issued an ultimatum: turn themselves in or face felony kidnapping charges.
The incident, which was recorded on video, allegedly involved the abduction of a younger player at gunpoint. The victim was reportedly blindfolded with a pillowcase, bound, and placed in the trunk of a vehicle. Although the weapon used was later determined to be a replica with a bright orange tip, DA Fitzpatrick noted how easily the incident could have ended in tragedy had law enforcement mistaken the scenario for a real abduction.
Anti-Hazing Policies Need to Be Enforced, Hazing Attorney Says
The Westhill Central School District is cooperating fully with the investigation. Superintendent Stephen Dunham acknowledged the gravity of the situation and emphasized the district’s commitment to student safety and strict adherence to the Code of Conduct.
It’s unknown how many of the players accused of hazing are minors and how many are 18. In either case, New York has a "youthful offender status," which allows adults younger than 19 to have their criminal cases sealed. If they comply with court mandates, none of the students may retain a permanent criminal record.
STFBC attorney David Bianchi, a nationally recognized authority on hazing litigation, commented on the case in an interview with NewsNation. “It’s hard to believe that this sort of hazing is still going on,” he said in a video interview. “New York has an anti-hazing statute, and none of the schools condone it, yet the hazing continues.”
He goes on to say that all the anti-hazing policies in the world won’t make an impact unless prosecutors and school administrators start enforcing consequences for hazing. As an example, he contrasted the fast and decisive action taken by the DA Fitzpatrick with the Ithaca district attorney who brought forward no charges after Antonio Tsialas’ hazing-related death at Cornell in 2019.
Schools Must Act Decisively or Risk Further Hazing Tragedies
As Bianchi and others have long argued, hazing is not a rite of passage—it’s a systemic problem. And when schools hesitate to act decisively, they make it worse. Because hazing isn't a problem exclusive to college campuses, even high school administrators need to consider how their enforcement of anti-hazing policy contributes to the culture of hazing among student organizations.
Bianchi has repeatedly called for student perpetrators of hazing on college campuses to be immediately expelled. Doing so, he argues, creates a powerful incentive for campus organizations to self-enforce anti-hazing rules. When students know there are real consequences—academic, legal, and social—then hazing becomes a risk no group can afford to ignore.
That’s the kind of policy shift that could have prevented what happened at Westhill High. Incidents like this make clear that stronger anti-hazing laws and proactive school policies are not optional; they’re essential. The stakes are too high to do anything less.