Police Unlikely to File Charges in Wrestlers’ Hazing

Despite community furor about a pattern of hazing among Westlake High School wrestlers, detectives will probably never file criminal charges against perpetrators, authorities said Tuesday.

“It doesn’t look like there are going to be any arrests,” said Sgt. Rod Mendoza of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. “Our investigators are going to speak with the victims and their parents before pressing any charges. We’re going to do what’s in the best interests of the children.”

While investigators are confident that the hazing occurred, they say it is up to the victims and their parents to press charges. The maximum offense wrestlers could be charged with is misdemeanor assault and battery, Mendoza said.

One of the victims’ mothers said she was not interested in legal action. “I don’t want to press charges,” she said. “And neither does my son.”

Instead, this mother took a more conciliatory tone.

“I hear I should be outraged,” she said. “I know it’s terrible, but I’ve been teaching for 31 years and I know that normal kids with stellar reports sometimes do things that are inappropriate. But I don’t think that one transgression should ruin their entire high school career.”

School officials, however, may still mete out punishment in connection with the incidents, in which wrestlers grabbed students, pinned them down and probed their buttocks with the handle of a dry mop dubbed “Pedro.” The students were fully clothed and none suffered injury.

Possible punishment could include suspension or expulsion of the handful of students who actually committed the hazing.

When word of the hazing reached school administrators last month, they canceled the remainder of the wrestling season and launched an investigation.

Athletic Director Joseph Pawlick declined to say what discipline the school might impose. But the wrestling season will not be reinstated this year, he said.

School officials and detectives believe the hazing was inflicted by a handful of the team’s 27 wrestlers and witnessed by many. They also believe the entire team was at least aware of the incidents, which took place on campus between Sept. 8 and Dec. 8.

The Sheriff’s Department investigation will probably not be closed until the end of the week, he added. A few more wrestlers and witnesses must be interviewed.

At least one parent of a wrestler viewed the news as a vindication. He called for the reinstatement of the wrestling team, minus those implicated in the hazing.

“My reaction is being astounded at the school’s overreaction,” said parent Bill Hutton, who added that his son, Doug, was not present when the hazing occurred. “You have some kids about to go to . . . state championships--and they have done nothing at all wrong--and their season is wiped out because the school acted before doing a thorough investigation. That leaves some people with a bad taste in their mouths.”

Although Hutton said you cannot be too careful in cases of possible assault against children, he said the school should have investigated further before scratching the season.

In cases of assault against minors, either the police or the victim and parents may decide to press charges. However, Mendoza said, police are not interested in making arrests if it will increase the victims’ embarrassment or trauma.

At least one girl, one wrestler and one other boy were subjected to the hazing, but there may have been as many as six incidents, police have said. While the girl was pinned to a wrestling mat in a gym mezzanine area, a wrestler intervened before she was prodded with the mop handle.

The mop--routinely used to clean dirty wrestling mats--had become an unofficial team mascot before the hazings were recorded.

School administrators have said that they will wait for the outcome of the police investigation before imposing punishments themselves.

Kate Folmar is a Times staff writer and Lisa Fernandez is a correspondent.