KSP looked into sodomy and confiscated brooms in the McCreary County high school football hazing investigation in Kentucky.

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Whitley City, Kentucky (SPA)---- Kentucky State Police opened a criminal investigation into allegations of hazing on the McCreary County Central High School football team after a report issued Aug. 28. Investigators at one point opened a sodomy investigation and seized broomsticks as potential evidence, according to local reporting. Prosecutors in the region have said they are awaiting the KSP investigative file before deciding whether to pursue charges.  

Factual record and timeline

• Initial report: Local authorities say the hazing report was filed Aug. 28; the Kentucky State Police were assigned to investigate. Prosecutors in neighboring counties have publicly stated that they are waiting for the KSP investigative report before making charging decisions.  

• Evidence seized: Reporting indicates items described as broomsticks were seized by investigators, and that a separate sodomy investigation unit within KSP was engaged — language that signals investigators believed there may have been sexual assault of the sort classified under Kentucky statutes as sodomy or sexual assault. The news outlet that first reported the detail described officers seizing brooms as potential implements used in the alleged conduct.  

• Current status (as of reporting): The investigation is ongoing; county prosecutors are reviewing or awaiting the investigative packet from KSP and have not yet publicly announced criminal filings explicitly tied to the McCreary inquiry.  

Important: reporting outlets are the source of the broom/sodomy details; KSP and the Commonwealth’s Attorney will be the official source of charges and formal allegations when/if prosecutors file them. Until charging documents are filed, reporting describes allegations and investigative actions — not convictions.

How law enforcement approaches alleged sexual-hazing in school athletics

When hazing allegations involve sexual assault or penetration, law enforcement treats the allegation as a potential crime rather than a mere disciplinary hazing matter. In practice, that means:

• Specialized investigators (child-victim units, sex-crimes units) and forensic examiners are often engaged.

• Physical evidence is sought and preserved (clothing, implements, locker-room items, digital evidence). The seizure of broom handles — repeatedly documented in similar past cases nationwide — is consistent with investigators preserving potential implements and maintaining the chain of custody.  

• Multidisciplinary response: prosecutors, child-advocacy professionals, school officials and, where appropriate, social services and victim-witness coordinators are pulled in to protect potential victims and witnesses.

Precedents and the national context

The McCreary County reporting sits within a disturbing national pattern: investigative series and reporting show several incidents where locker-room hazing on football and other athletic teams has included sexual assaults involving broomsticks or similar implements. Outside the Lines (ESPN) and legacy news investigations have documented dozens of cases across the U.S. over the last decade, ranging from criminal prosecutions to civil suits and administrative sanctions—a pattern that informs how prosecutors and school districts view similar allegations now.  

Notable features observed in prior cases that instruct current investigations:

• Victims are often younger or lower-classmen on the team; perpetrators are older teammates.

• There is frequently a culture of silence that delays reporting.

• Civil suits sometimes follow criminal investigations alleging coach and administrator knowledge or deliberate indifference.

Legal Exposure: Who Can Be Charged or Sued?

Students: If evidence supports it, individual students can face criminal charges ranging from sexual assault, sodomy, rape, or related child-abuse offenses (charges depend on ages, specific acts, and state statutes).

Coaches and staff: Civil exposure (and sometimes criminal exposure) arises when school employees knew about, encouraged, or failed to stop ongoing abuse. Numerous lawsuits nationwide have alleged that coaches and administrators were aware of ritualized abuse and failed to intervene.  

School district: Independent of criminal prosecutions, school districts can face civil litigation for failing to protect students, inadequate supervision, or retaining staff who enabled a culture of hazing. Administrative penalties (suspensions, program closures) and changes in district policies commonly follow.

Investigative and prosecutorial mechanics (what to expect next)

1. Evidence collection and analysis — physical evidence (implements, clothing), digital evidence (texts, group chats, videos), and witness interviews. Seized items like broom handles are forensically examined and logged.  

2. Victim support — victim-witness services and child-advocacy may be activated to provide medical exams, counseling, and legal advocacy.

3. Prosecutor review — once the KSP investigative packet is complete, the Commonwealth’s Attorney will decide whether probable cause exists to indict or charge individuals. Local reporting indicates prosecutors are awaiting that packet.  

4. Parallel administrative actions — school officials typically conduct internal disciplinary proceedings (suspensions, expulsions) even while criminal process runs, constrained by privacy laws and due-process requirements.

Policy implications and recommendations for schools and districts

The McCreary report — if substantiated — should prompt urgent administrative and policy reflection across Kentucky and beyond. Key recommendations for school districts and athletic programs:

1. Treat allegations of sexual hazing as potential crimes immediately. Notify law enforcement and child-protection professionals without delay. Administrators must balance student privacy with safety and preservation of evidence.

2. Strengthen prevention training. Mandatory, recurrent training for all coaches, staff, and student-athletes on sexual misconduct, bystander intervention, and clear boundaries for initiation rituals.

3. Clear reporting channels + protections for whistleblowers. Students and staff need safe, confidential avenues to report hazing without fear of retaliation.

4. Independent review after incidents. Districts should commission independent audits of team culture, supervision protocols, and prior complaints to identify systemic failures.

5. Documentation and accountability for coaches. Coaching contracts and handbooks should explicitly address permissibility and consequences for hazing and sexual misconduct.

These steps are consistent with best practices identified after prior broomstick-hazing cases and with the public interest in preventing recurrence.  

Ethics, media, and community considerations

Reporting on alleged sexual hazing involving minors requires care:

• Avoid publishing identifying details of alleged victims or juveniles.

• Distinguish between allegations, investigative actions (seizure of items, interviews), and criminal charges/convictions.

• Community leaders (school trustees, coaches, clergy) should prioritize transparent procedural updates while protecting privacy and due process.

If substantiated, the McCreary County allegations would be yet another reminder that athletic team cultures can enable profoundly harmful conduct. The criminal investigation — signaled by the opening of a sodomy probe and seizure of broomsticks — places the matter squarely in the hands of KSP and the Commonwealth’s Attorney. The next public milestones will be the prosecutor’s charging decision and, independently, the school district’s administrative actions. Until those documents are made public, reporting describes an active investigation but does not present proven facts in court.  

Sources and further reading (selected)

• “KSP investigated sodomy in McCreary football hazing inquiry,” Lexington Herald-Leader / kentucky.com.  

• “Prosecutors in Casey County are waiting for a KSP investigation of alleged hazing on the McCreary County Central High School football team,” Lexington Herald-Leader.  

• Yahoo! News summary: “KY State Police investigating report of hazing involving high school …” (summary of local reporting).  

• ESPN Outside The Lines reporting on the national trend of sodomy/hazing incidents in school athletics.  

• Patch.com reporting and civil-suit examples (Plainfield Code-Blue / broomstick cases) for precedent and liability lessons.