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Thirty-seven members of the Boston College swimming and diving program have sued the institution to lift the indefinite suspension that administrators handed down last month over allegations of hazing, SwimSwam reported.
The civil lawsuit names BC trustees, athletic director Blake James and senior associate athletic director Reggie Terry as defendants. It says the college unfairly imposed a “blanket suspension” on the team before completing an investigation of the hazing allegations, according to ESPN. The press release initially announcing the suspension said the college had determined hazing had occurred, but a later statement revised the charge to “credible reports of hazing,” noting that “a full investigation” would be conducted.
The suit also accuses James of taking “drastic, unfair and unprecedented” action.
According to the lawsuit, swim team members have been “ostracized by their peers, subjected to hateful social media postings, stalked by various local and national media seeking comments, mistreated by others on campus to the point that they were afraid to wear their swimming and diving gear in public, subjected to public humiliation and embarrassment, and have become concerned for their safety and well-being, all of which has also impacted their ability to focus on their academics and training,” ESPN reported.
Tara Davis, an attorney representing the swimmers, said the lawsuit aims “to lift the full team suspension so that the students can go back to normal training and competition.”
At a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, a Superior Court justice will consider a preliminary injunction that would allow the team to continue its season.
