ASHLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE January 10, 2013

RE:

Ashland Police Case 12-1834, 12-3387, 12-3388: Incident occurring at a football training program attended by members of the Ashland High School football team Coercion, Unlawful Sexual Penetration 1st degree (Attempted) and Conspiracy to commit Unlawful Sexual Penetration 1st degree (Attempted)

On July 9, 2012 the Ashland Police Department was advised of a complaint of hazing and possible sexual assault that reportedly occurred while the Ashland High School (AHS) football team was attending a football camp at Linfield College in McMinville, Oregon between June 21st and June 24th, 2012. Detectives from the Ashland Police worked in concert with detectives from the McMinville Police to further the investigation. In the early stages of the investigation it was decided that the Ashland Police and the Jackson County District Attorneys Office would assume primary jurisdiction on this case because everyone involved lives in the Jackson County area. An extensive investigation followed, and included 48 forensic interviews with members of the football team. The Ashland Police Department was assisted by the Ashland High School administration at every point of this investigation. The investigation indicated that five members of the football team were coerced into behaving in a manner they had a legal right to abstain from in violation of Oregon Revised Statue 163.275 (Coercion) and 3 members of the football team were subjected to forcible compulsion (Attempted Unlawful Sexual Penetration) in violation of Oregon Revised Statute 163.411. The investigation resulted in identifying four juvenile suspects in the case that were charged as follows: Ashland High School student #1 charged with five counts of Coercion and one count of conspiracy to commit Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree (Attempted) Ashland High School student #2 charged with five counts of Coercion and one count of conspiracy to commit Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree (Attempted) Ashland High School student #3 charged with five counts of Coercion A non Ashland High School juvenile charged with five counts of Coercion and four counts of Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree (Attempted)

The investigation did not indicate any long standing pattern of hazing or coercion within the Ashland High School football program. Press Inquiries can be directed to DC Corey Falls or Detective Sergeant Tighe OMeara at 541-482-5211.