by Amanda Harnocz
Reporter
Tallmadge -- A 17-year-old junior at Tallmadge High School and varsity football player is waiting for his sentence after he was found guilty in Summit County Juvenile Court March 18 of delinquency charges of rape and hazing following an incident that happened at the school in August.
A second teammate, a 17-year-old senior, was sentenced to community service after he was found guilty of hazing, but not guilty of complicity to commit rape, in the same incident.
Both were tried by Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio.
The Tallmadge Express generally does not name juveniles accused of crimes.
Calls from the players' Attorney George Keith and from Prosecutor Zack Swisher were not immediately returned.
The first teen will be sentenced on April 28 at 2:30 p.m., according to Don Ursetti, Summit County Juvenile Court Outreach and Education Director
Teodosio could sentence him to probation or confinement in a youth correctional facility until the age of 21, according to prosecutors.
The football player must also register as a sex offender since he was found guilty of rape, according to state law.
The requirement to register as a sex offender, for juveniles, is usually 10 years, according to state law.
Ursetti said the second juvenile was sentenced to 90 days in detention, which was suspended as long as he stays out of trouble for the next 40 days.
If he should violate his probation, the 90 day detention will stand, he said.
The player was also ordered to serve 40 hours of community service, to write a letter of apology to the victim and his family, to write a five-page essay on bullying, to continue to observe the no-contact order with the victim and his family, and to have no contact with Tallmadge High School.
The two were accused of being involved in the hazing of a member of the football team, who was 15 at the time, on school grounds during a practice in August 2007.
The school district has not confirmed what disciplinary action, if any, the students involved face.
"Under the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act, we cannot address the disciplinary action of individual students," Community Relations Coordinator Nancy Wack said.
"This incident is no exception," added Superintendent Jeff Ferguson. "In any case of student misconduct, we follow the procedures set forth by the Board of Education in accordance with state law."
Four others were allegedly involved in the August incident, and on Oct. 29, two of the players charged with hazing pleaded "true," the juvenile equivalent to "guilty."
Another juvenile pleaded "true" to a delinquency charge of disorderly conduct Dec. 21.
At Prosecutor Dan Riedl's recommendation, Teodosio ordered the three to write a five-page essay on the effects of bullying, have no contact with the victim unless the victim first approaches and 40 hours of community service.
Also on Oct. 29, one player pleaded "not true" to misdemeanor hazing charges, the juvenile equivalent to "not guilty."
Ursetti said that youth had his charges dismissed after Riedl discussed it with the victim and the victim's family.
E-mail: aharnocz@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3911