Four Gilroy High School football players accused of sexual battery; season is canceled

A Northern California high school said its varsity football season has been canceled after four players were cited by police for sexual battery after a teammate reported he was assaulted on campus.

The Gilroy Unified School District said Wednesday that “most of the varsity players have chosen not to finish the season and therefore, at this time, the season will not continue,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Gilroy police began investigating after the alleged assault was reported Sept. 26, the department said. The school district has not provided details of the assault, citing student privacy.

Police said all of the students involved are minors and members of the Gilroy High varsity football team. Gilroy is about 70 miles south of San Francisco. The Gilroy Police Department said there was no evidence the assault was “a hate-motivated crime” but did not release any other information.

School district officials previously said in a statement that they had taken “appropriate and immediate actions“ when they heard of the alleged assault but did not say whether the students were disciplined.

KSBW-TV reported that the alleged victim told authorities he had been attacked in the locker room.