A group of 11 students from Westhill High School in Syracuse, New York, voluntarily turned themselves in to authorities on Wednesday following a hazing incident that Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick condemned as “incomprehensible.”
The students, mostly members of the boys varsity lacrosse team, surrendered after being given a 48-hour ultimatum by Fitzpatrick, who has decided to press charges over the April 24 incident.
According to Fitzpatrick, the hazing involved a younger teammate who believed he was spending a casual evening with upperclassmen that included attending a lacrosse game and grabbing food at McDonald’s. Instead, the situation escalated when the group staged a fake kidnapping: the victim was taken to a secluded area, had a pillowcase placed over his head, was tied up, and forced into a car trunk.
The supposed “kidnappers,” also students, emerged from the woods dressed in black and reportedly wielded a handgun and a knife.
Fitzpatrick said the episode went far beyond traditional hazing, calling it “criminal activity” and comparing it to “hazing on steroids.” He emphasized the serious psychological impact on the victim and warned that had the students not surrendered, they could have faced adult criminal charges, including second-degree kidnapping.
The DA also noted that four other students nearly became victims but managed to escape. In response to the incident, Westhill Schools Superintendent Steven Dunham announced the cancellation of the rest of the varsity boys lacrosse season, acknowledging that while most team members were not involved, a cultural reset was necessary.
Dunham reaffirmed the school’s commitment to addressing misconduct according to its Code of Conduct.
