In wake of Viera hazing, schools throughout Brevard meet with athletes to talk conduct

Months before a recorded incident of Viera High football players engaging in lewd behavior in a locker room went viral on social media and the kickoff of another Brevard schools football season, coach Tony Riopelle talked sportsmanship with active sports teams at West Short Jr./Sr. High School.

He'd planned to do that again as the fall sports season began Friday. Instead, Riopelle and West Shore Junior/Senior High School Principal Rick Fleming moved the meeting up by three days as fallout continued from the 41-second clip filmed in a Viera High School locker room, one which featured Viera High players simulating sexual acts. Their actions drew widespread condemnation of hazing, concerns about unsupervised teens on school property and questions about potential sexual assault charges.

The video, the filming date of which has not been confirmed, was posted over the weekend of Aug. 18-20 to various social media platforms. By Aug. 20, Viera High's junior varsity and varsity football teams were suspended, though at a Aug. 22 school board meeting, Superintendent Mark Rendell said they were being allowed to return to practice Aug. 23. Rendell did not know when or if they would return to competition. Their Friday night game was canceled.

How local coaches, athletic directors and district officials are addressing the incident, which some call hazing and others sexual assault, with their own athletes is up to the individual school, Brevard Public Schools spokesperson Russell Bruhn said. As of last week, the district had not given directions.

Still, even without guidance, many found themselves addressing what happened with the Viera team and what happens from here on out.

Riopelle spoke to West Shore's athletes on proper sportsmanship — something multiple schools throughout the district are doing.

"We got all the athletes together in the gym, and all the coaches showed up," said Riopelle, who's been in athletics since 1997 and is in his 10th year as athletic director at West Shore.

"Our principal and I each talked about expectations and how hazing is something we are not going to do or accept ... I'm hoping we got through to them."

'Football is over for him': Community members question handling of Viera hazing incident

What defines hazing?

The actions in the video were called hazing by Brevard Public Schools. Hazing, according to Florida statutes, is any action or situation that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical safety of students, especially for purposes related to initiations or traditions. Depending on the severity of the hazing, and what kind of physical or mental damage is caused to the students, it's punishable as a misdemeanor or, in cases involving serious injury or death, a felony.

It's up to State Attorney Phil Archer whether or not any charges will be pursued in this case, according to Sheriff Wayne Ivey. Ivey estimated the incident may have taken place Aug. 14, according to a post on the Brevard County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. Administrators at Viera High did not become aware of the incident until Aug. 16 and alerted BCSO to aid in the investigation, Ivey said.

T.J. Gaudy, athletic director and head baseball coach at Satellite High, said he has always addressed hazing with his team. He said principal Bobby Pruett has addressed it himself and encouraged his coaches to do the same.

BCSO investigating: Investigation continues into Viera High School football video. Will season start on time?

Gaudy said there's been no mandate from the district office about this; he’s just always done it as a coach.

“Basically it’s along the lines of telling the players that can’t happen here,” Gaudy said. “It doesn’t happen at Satellite, and it doesn’t happen in our community. And if it happens, it’s going to be addressed appropriately with the players, and it’s going to be addressed with the coaches.”

On Aug. 23, when Viera team members were set to return to practice, Brevard Public Schools shared a message on their website that had been sent to Hawk Nation families, saying that with the completion of an anti-hazing course, the team had completed the first step to return to "full operation" of the football program.

Public speaks out

During the Aug. 22 school board meeting, public commenters questioned the handling of the incident, with some questioning why the district wasn't cracking down harder on those involved while others asked the board to consider the suspension's impact on Viera's cheerleaders and band.

“There’s some kind of environment and culture going on at the high school that these students believed that this behavior was going to be okay,” said Beverly Marker, a retired criminal defense attorney who said she believed some team members should be criminally charged. “This is no ‘boys will be boys’ as some people have argued; this is no ‘okay locker room’ behavior.”

Hazing and bullying in Florida: Florida has laws against school hazing and bullying. What they say and how to get help

A woman who identified herself as the mother of a boy who was hazed spoke, saying that "football is over for him." She was not available to talk with FLORIDA TODAY at the meeting.

"No matter if the Viera football team season is reinstated or not," she said, addressing the board. "Those players that were involved took that away from him and turned his life upside down when they chose to post (the video) on social media."

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Viera football hazing video leads to talks across Space Coast