A new federal lawsuit alleges officials at Ursuline High School, a private Catholic school in Youngstown, failed to protect students from a "long-standing culture of hazing" by the football team, with accusations that a student was sexually assaulted and abused by fellow team members as part of a hazing ritual.
The suit was filed in federal court Tuesday against Ursuline High School's football coaches, principals, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and 11 football players and their parents. The allegations center around a nine-day June 2025 football camp trip, where several football players allegedly "violently assaulted" a student, identified in the suit under the pseudonym “Son King,” for his "initiation" into the team and filmed those assaults.
"The players allegedly held Son down, stripped him, and humiliated him," plaintiff lawyer Subodh Chandra wrote in a press release. "One player is alleged to have sexually assaulted the boy, while other players recorded the misconduct and posted it to the team’s group Snapchat. The videos were later transmitted to other Ursuline students and the community at-large."
The suit alleges the victim's mother reported the incidents to Assistant Coach Timothy McGlynn, but said he downplayed the incident by allegedly stating, "It's just boys being boys." She also claimed she tried to report the incident to Principal Matthew Sammartino and Assistant Principal Margaret Damore by showing them the videos and photos.
Chandra's release alleges that Sammartino showed a lack of interest, while Damore acknowledged, "This is bad," and recorded the evidence on her own phone. The lawsuit claims that despite having the evidence, the school "failed to perform an investigation or take meaningful disciplinary action against the players or coaches."
The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown in a statement said the Diocese and Ursuline High School conducted "a timely investigation" into the incident.
“The Diocese of Youngstown is aware of news reports regarding a lawsuit filed by one of our former Ursuline High School families," the statement reads. "While detailed responses will only be made through the court process, the Diocese and Ursuline High School conducted a timely investigation, cooperated with the appropriate authorities, and took immediate actions to protect Ursuline High School students. No further statements will be made regarding this matter. Bishop [David] Bonnar prays for peace and healing for all those involved.”
Ursuline officials attempted to cover up the incidents, the suit alleges, by deleting social media posts from the football team, and because the coaches instructed players "not to say anything to anyone about what occurred." The coaches also allegedly sent two statements downplaying the incidents to the public.
The complaint alleges similar hazing rituals have existed for "several years" prior to the lawsuit. It also alleges that the school was aware that two coaches — McGlynn and Daniel Reardon — had a "history of misconduct" prior to their hiring. Reardon resigned from Ursuline in 2011 after complaints he "turned a blind eye" to student misconduct, but was rehired, the suit alleges, while McGlynn resigned from Champion High School in October 2020 amid "allegations of physical abuse and threats against players."
Chandra urged any other potential victims of hazing to contact his office.
