On Sunday Sept. 2, the Geneseo Police Department arrested 11 upperclassmen members of the women’s volleyball team for hazing at a team gathering on Court Street. The department became involved in the incident after learning that an underage member of the team was intoxicated and in need of medical attention.
At approximately 8 a.m., the Geneseo Police Department learned that the 18-year-old student had been taken by ambulance to Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville, N.Y. for alcohol poisoning. In the following days, a police and Livingston County district attorney’s office investigation revealed that hazing reportedly took place during the women’s volleyball gathering.
According to a news release from the Geneseo Police Department, students were “allegedly blindfolded, handcuffed and ordered to drink alcoholic beverages.”
Though only one student was hospitalized, police reported that a total of eight freshman students experienced hazing. The 11 upperclassmen members of the team present at the gathering were arrested for Class A Misdemeanors of Hazing in the First Degree and Unlawfully Dealing with a Child in the First Degree.
“Underage drinking and arrests is something that happens every weekend on a college campus,” said Geneseo Chief of Police Eric Osganian. “What makes this case a little more unique is the addition of hazing.”
The accused team members will also face consequences as members of the Geneseo community for violations against the campus’ Code of Conduct and hazing policies.
In response to the reports of hazing, Robert Bonfiglio, vice president for student and campus life, announced yesterday that the women’s volleyball team will be suspended from play for the start of this season. The length of the suspension has yet to be determined.
The arrested team members are scheduled to appear in Geneseo Village Court on Oct. 9.