SAYREVILLE – A settlement agreement has been reached between the Sayreville School District and a former Sayreville War Memorial High School (SWMHS) student over a 2014 hazing scandal.
During a recent meeting, the Board of Education approved the settlement agreement in a complaint filed by an anonymous former student. According to the complaint, the now-adult student was kept anonymous because he was a minor at the time of his allegations.
The complaint was filed in New Jersey Superior Court in early 2020. It relates to hazing incidents involving the high school football team that were reported in 2014.
As a result of the hazing controversy, seven students were charged with various counts in connection with the hazing. Six of the students either pleaded guilty or were found guilty of charges such as hazing and simple assault, leading to probationary terms and 50 hours of community service. The seventh student’s case was settled in 2016.
Since the controversy, several former students have taken legal action against the district.
In his 2020 complaint, the former student alleged that the school board, high school and various administrators and staff breached their duty to protect him from unlawful conduct; negligently, recklessly and/or carelessly allowing the hazing behavior to develop and the attack and assault to occur in the SWMHS locker room.
The complaint also alleged that the former student was deprived of his rights to be protected against violations of his civil and constitutional rights; to be free from intentional assault, battery and the intentional infliction of emotional distress; and to receive equal protection under the law.
Following the board’s approval of the settlement agreement, a stipulation of dismissal was filed by the former student. The stipulation states that all claims were dismissed with prejudice and without costs to the defendants.