The Ohio University men’s club soccer team is facing suspension after team members allegedly “pressured” a player to drink excess amounts of alcohol, ultimately leading to his hospitalization.
The player, who was not named in a letter from Director of Intramural and Club Sports, Nick Brigati, woke up in the hospital with a one-and-a-half-inch laceration in his head after drinking with teammates the weekend after Sept. 8.
Ohio University Club Sports placed the men’s soccer team on an initial suspension last Wednesday, citing a Student Code of Conduct Class A offense. Though the investigation is ongoing, the team is banned from competition or practice, per Section 17, Article 3 of the Club Sports Manual.
The suspension stemmed from an initial report from Friday, Sept. 9, stating an Ohio men’s club soccer team member was admitted to O’Bleness Memorial Hospital because of a head injury he suffered while intoxicated.
Prior to arriving at O’Bleness, the student had been pressured to consume alcohol by unnamed soccer team members, according to Brigati’s letter.
“(He) remembered drinking nine shots of unknown liquor and could not remember the amount of beer he drank afterwards,” the letter stated. “(He) had a vague memory of dealing with the police but had no recollection of the details.”
The player was treated for “a large (inch and a half) laceration in the back of the head.”
The Ohio University Student Code of Conduct states that “coercing another to engage in an act of membership in a student organization that causes or creates a risk of mental or bodily harm to any person (e.g. hazing),” is a Code A Offense.
The patient’s name has not been released, and The Post was unable to locate a police report.
According to Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi, local authorities are sifting through the details of the case.
“We were concerned enough about what we saw in that statement to launch an investigation into what’s going on and for the Club Sports staff to temporarily suspend their play,” he said. “We were concerned with what we saw, but we are also investigating it in a fair and appropriate way to see if it’s in fact justified.”
As of press time, team officials had not responded to a request for comment.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
