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Eleven students from Westhill High School in Syracuse have surrendered to authorities following accusations of hazing involving the school's boys lacrosse team. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick announced that the students, who are accused of staging the kidnapping of a teammate, turned themselves in after being given a 48-hour deadline to avoid more serious charges.
The students, mostly minors, face misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment. According to ABC7NY, the incident involved tricking younger players into believing they were going to McDonald's after a game. Instead, they were taken to a remote area where accomplices, dressed in black and wielding what appeared to be weapons, pretended to be kidnappers.
One victim was tied up, had a pillowcase placed over his head, and was put in the trunk of a car before being abandoned in another wooded area. The victim was eventually returned home but believed he would be left in the middle of nowhere. District Attorney Fitzpatrick emphasized that the incident "went way beyond hazing" and was not a trivial matter.
The students who surrendered will be tried in the family court system, and their records will be sealed if they are eligible for Youthful Offender Status. The Westhill Central School District has canceled the rest of the varsity boys' lacrosse season, citing concerns about the team's culture and potential unwillingness of other teams to play against them. CNN reported that the school district has launched its own investigation into the incident, reaffirming its policy against hazing.