Mater Dei to commission independent probe of its sports programs

Mater Dei High School pledged to committee an probe into the information practices of its diversion programs by an autarkic steadfast successful the aftermath of an alleged February hazing incidental with the school’s shot programme that has attracted nationalist attention.

Mater Dei president Walter Jenkins’ announcement Tuesday that helium is besides creating a task unit to reappraisal “how athletics is engaged” astatine the schoolhouse comes a week aft an Orange County Register report raised questions astir Mater Dei caput shot manager Bruce Rollinson and the school’s handling of an alleged hazing incidental betwixt 2 players that near 1 of the players with a traumatic encephalon injury, a breached chemoreceptor and different caput injuries.

“Clearly sports are an important portion of immoderate precocious schoolhouse experience, but they are not the sole ngo of Mater Dei.” Jenkins wrote successful a missive to Mater Dei parents and students. “We indispensable guarantee balance.”

READ LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

A existent Mater Dei subordinate punched a teammate, 50 pounds lighter than him, 3 times successful the look during a hazing ritual called “Bodies” connected Feb. 4 portion different Monarchs players shouted radical epithets astatine the smaller player, according to 2 videos of the altercation obtained by the Register.

The Register is not identifying the players due to the fact that of their ages.

The Santa Ana Police Department recommended the larger subordinate beryllium prosecuted for felony battery, according to a constabulary report. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office does not mean to record charges successful the case.

The smaller player’s household filed a suit against Mater Dei High School and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange successful Orange County Superior Court connected Tuesday, Nov. 23.

Jenkins’ missive comes amid mounting unit connected the schoolhouse and diocese to occurrence Rollinson and Mater Dei main Frances Clare.

“Let maine guarantee you, that those of you who expressed interest arsenic to however the schoolhouse would respond – I’ve heard you,” Jenkins wrote successful the letter. “I person work your e-mails and listened to your voicemails. We are and volition proceed to guarantee the information of everyone astatine Mater Dei High School.”

Jenkins said the steadfast conducting the probe volition supply him with “findings and recommendations for immoderate indispensable improvements.”

He said the steadfast volition revealed successful a aboriginal letter.

“We volition not simply judge minimal “industry standards;” we volition transcend them successful the extortion of pupil athletes,” helium said. “This enactment volition commence immediately. In a abstracted connection I volition denote the sanction and inheritance of the steadfast chosen.”

The task unit recommendations volition beryllium made to Jenkins by June 2022, helium said.

Jenkins said the Santa Ana Police Department volition beryllium connected the school’s field adjacent week to behaviour “an extended appraisal of our vulnerabilities and marque recommendations.”

Mater Dei officials initially declined to cooperate with Santa Ana Police Department investigators, according to constabulary reports. Rollinson and Kevin Kiernan, the school’s diversion director, yet agreed to beryllium interviewed by a Santa Ana Police Department researcher with Mater Dei adjunct main for pupil services Miguel Gutierrez contiguous connected April 21, much than 2 months aft the altercation and erstwhile the Santa Ana PD archetypal requested accusation from the school, according to constabulary reports.

Rollinson during the constabulary interrogation denied hazing existed successful the Mater Dei program. He added that the interrogation was the archetypal clip helium had heard of the Bodies game.

Earlier Rollinson told the injured player’s begetter “If I had a 100 dollars for each clip these kids played Bodies oregon Slappies, I’d beryllium a millionaire,” according to a tribunal filing.

Jenkins said helium volition besides person meetings with students astir their acquisition and clasp “town hall” benignant meetings with parents during Spring semester.