Eight students on Cienega High School's softball team were suspended after they tried to pull a prank on newer varsity members during an away game.
School and district officials are treating the incident as hazing, said Darcy Mentone, Vail school district's spokeswoman. "We really wanted to make sure that we took it seriously."
The team was staying at a motel in February when district officials say the eight girls decided to fill a trash can full of ice, water and urine. The can was placed near a door with the expectation that it would spill on anyone opening the door.ย
The mixture ended up spilling several feet away from the targeted students, who were not injured or drenched, Mentone said.
When school officials learned of the failed prank last Monday, administrators wanted to send a message that such behavior would not be tolerated. The school had not known about the incident at the time it occurred because no one had reported it, said Nemer Hassey, Cienega's principal.
Upon finding out, the school launched a full investigation, he said. All students involved were given full due process.ย
Four students who were directly involved with organizing the prank were suspended for five days and four other students who knew about the prank but did not stop it were suspended for two days, he said.ย
These were "good students who made very bad choices," Hassey said.ย
"We will not tolerate pranks," he said. "We will not tolerate bullying. We will not tolerate hazing or any kind of harassment."ย
The Cienega softball team won the Division II state championship last season and has won back-to-back games since losing three in a row. It climbed to No. 14 in the statewide rankings after beating 12th-ranked Desert View 12-2 on Tuesday.
The Bobcats (15-14 overall) close out the regular season with a home game against Marana on Tuesday. State tournament brackets come out Thursday afternoon.
