Hazing Incident Leaves Boys Beaten, Whipped, Hypothermic
A brutal hazing incident left seven juniors beaten, whipped, and hypothermic at Inglemore High School in Seattle. The students were hazed by recent graduates, who may now face charges due to the severity of the hazing.
"They used PVC pipes, headless golf clubs, and flour and maple syrup," James Walvatne, one of the hazed students, told KIRO TV. "They peed on us and stuff."
Seven juniors were chosen by graduating seniors to be part of an unsanctioned group known as the "Naked Viks" in honor of the school mascot, the Vikings. The younger boys regularly cheer at football and basketball games. Yet none of the boys expected the hazing to go so badly.
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Walvatne said he did not tell the older students to stop the ritual because he wanted to be a part of the group. He was willing to endure anything and everything to be a Naked Vik, including being burned by a lit cigar and bent over a log and beaten.
"It's just tradition. I don't think they should be in trouble. That could just ruin their lives," Walvatne said.
Neighbors heard screaming in the dead of night and called police. They found the boys in rough shape, suffering from hypothermia and some with open sores that required stitching. Thankfully the boys were able to be treated and released at the scene.
"This needs to be stopped, this initiation," Sara Walvatne, James' mother, said. "It's not right. You can't do this. People cannot do this to other people."
Unfortunately, since none of the boys told their abusers to stop, it's unclear what charges could be brought against the elder boys. The school has taken action to prevent the former students from being on its campus by obtaining a no-trespass order.
"The school has heard rumors in the past, but when investigated, found no evidence," a district spokeswoman told MyNorthwest.com. "No reports of hazing involving violence have ever been reported."
