SPOKANE, Wash – A Spokane County judge ruled the Mead School District did not adequately protect students from harm in an incident that resulted in the hazing of a student at a high school football camp.
The allegations stem from the Mead High School football team’s participation in a football camp at Eastern Washington University.
Players allege they were hazed and even had massage guns applied to their genitals during back-to-back summers at the camp.
The incidents were reported to the coach and the principal, but then not quickly addressed, despite the district’s requirement to do so.
The football coach was eventually fired and the principal stepped down, but not until months after the allegations came to light.
Families sued, saying the school district should have done more to protect the students, then to act on the allegations.
Last week in court, the parties asked the judge to rule on the case before going to trial.
Judge Annette Plese granted the motion for partial summary judgment, saying the district’s agents “breached their duty to follow mandatory reporting laws after receiving numerous reports of sexual harassment and assault.”
Also, the district stipulated that it had an obligation to provide safety for the student in their care.
“The Court found that MSD’s agents breached their duty to protect the students from foreseeable harm.”
The law firm representing the plaintiffs called the judge’s decision “a significant ruling with implications for student safety and institutional accountability.”
“Schools are entrusted with the safety of children,” said Marcus Sweetser, who represents multiple affected families. “That trust carries legal duties—duties to protect, duties to act, and duties to report.”
“This case is about accountability,” Sweetser said. “At the center of it are children who were entitled to protection, honesty, and adult intervention.”
“Accountability is how institutions change,” he added. “It is how we protect the next child—not just explain what happened to the last.”
The case is still scheduled for a jury trial in May to resolve any outstanding issues.
© 2026 KAYU FOX 28. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without written permission.
