School District issues statement

Oconee schools released a brief statement about the lawsuit that alleges a student was the victim of an aggressive initiation ritual by members of a Walhalla soccer team.  Dr. Michael Thorsland, superintendent, said, “While district officials do not agree with some of the claims made in the lawsuit filed on September 10, it would be inappropriate to comment about specific details, so the school district will not make further comment about the litigation at this time.”  After the bus ride last March, the district announced the suspension of five players. Those suspensions did not lead to criminal actions, as the result of a meeting of the Walhalla Police with members of the circuit solicitor’s office.