Three players suspended from school amid abuse probe

Friday, September 19th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Bellmore, Long Island-AP) -- Three high school football players who had been suspended from their team amid allegations of sexual assault on younger teammates have also been suspended from school.

Meanwhile, members of the team, the Mepham High School Pirates, protested the Bellmore-Merrick school board's decision to end the football season by walking onto the field yesterday morning.

The board voted Wednesday night to cancel the season while authorities look into allegations that players were sexually abused during a hazing while the team was at a preseason training camp in Pennsylvania.

Newsday has reported that three younger players were sodomized by three older players with a broomstick, pine cones and golf balls. The newspaper said other students watched the abuse, and that one of the students was injured so badly that he required surgery.

Authorities and school officials have not discussed the specifics of the allegations. No arrests have been made.