CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Tenn. — Three Claiborne County High School students are charged with being delinquent via aggravated rape after an "incident" at the school's football camp, District Attorney General Jared Effler said Friday.
Rumors have swirled this week about the incident on social media. Claiborne County Schools became aware July 30 and reached out to the Claiborne County Sheriff's Office to investigate.
On Monday, Claiborne High School head coach Nathan Medlin resigned.
Knoxville lawyer T. Scott Jones represents the alleged victim, who is 14, as well as his family.
Jones said the boy was taken to an area hospital to be checked out after the alleged assault. He's now home, he said.
Jones said his firm has just begun its investigation into what happened. It may not be the first time a student has been hazed by older members of the school football team. There may have been an incident in 2022, he said.
The lawyer said it's his understanding the incident happened the afternoon or evening of July 30 during the camp, in which new and veteran players worked together to help build rapport and cohesion.
He said his client was "sodomized" with an object.
“Obviously it is a very, very disturbing set of facts that has emerged,” he said.
He said he's concerned his client might suffer long-term psychological injuries.
This is the boy's first year in the football program.
"I want to make sure, No. 1, that he’s taken care of medically, both emotionally and physically and psychologically, but then I also want to make sure that if there were administrators, school officials and personnel of an adult nature that were aware of this and didn’t do something to stop it and/or to discourage it that they are punished accordingly either civilly or criminally. Because that type of deliberate indifference is just not acceptable," he said.
At a county school board meeting Thursday, Claiborne County Director of Schools Meredith Arnold said the board couldn't provide specific details about the incident due to an ongoing investigation and "the district's responsibility to protect the identity of students involved."
"If any mistakes were made by Claiborne County Schools during this process, then we will work hard to identify such mistakes and make sure they are never repeated," Arnold said.
The New Tazewell Police Department with assistance from the Tazewell Police Department and the county sheriff's office investigated the incident.
"Hazing and this quote-unquote initiation-type situation, while it may be part of life, when you injure someone either emotionally or physically, then you’re beyond the line," Jones said. "There’s no longer team-building associated with it. There is a lack of respect for another human being, and I -- for one -- and I don't believe society -- for another -- should ever tolerate it."