Eighteen of 21 football players initially suspended during an investigation into hazing allegations at Ayala High School in Chino Hills have been reinstated, a school district spokeswoman said Wednesday.
The players will participate in practices and games this week.
When members of the school’s varsity football team traveled to St. George, Utah for an away game, some students reported an alleged hazing incident took place at the team hotel, Chino Valley Unified School District spokeswoman Julie Gobin said in a statement last week, without describing the incident.
Gobin said the investigation is ongoing.
After the initial suspensions, which ranged between one and five days, some students started a petition to push school officials to lift the punishment as the players denied the allegations.
One suspended football player told NBC4 via phone that the incident was not hazing and that the players were just "horsing around."
Other students backed the victim of the alleged hazing.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Student Sema Morris said his friend was a victim of the alleged hazing incident.
"I hope that the embarrassment for him will eventually go away," Morris said. "I just hope all the bullying will stop."
