OVIEDO, Fla. — There is new information regarding the investigation into a reported assault that took place inside the Oviedo High School locker room.
Oviedo police said they would not be filing charges in the case and the parents of the boy who came forward are outraged.
The parents believe the high school and police are downplaying the significance of what happened by calling it "locker room shenanigans."
The parents said what is happening is sexual assault.
One football player talked about the culture of the locker room: “It upsets me, it’s happened many years and nobody has done anything about it.”
He hopes by speaking out, things will finally change.
The football player said he is the victim of an assault by members of the varsity football team that took place in the locker room as he was getting ready for practice.
“I got all my clothes on. I had my phone and was facing the locker and I had a junior come up to me. He put is forearm up against my back, and then he took his other hand and used his hand to stick his finger up my butt,” the football player said.
The story is similar to one Channel 9 reported last year. Oviedo police deemed it “locker room shenanigans.”
One student was charged, but the state attorney decided not to prosecute.
The victim said he initially didn’t come forward because he was embarrassed and the fear of retaliation by other players is something he said a lot of the younger players feel.
The football player said it keeps happening “because the school won’t do anything and the coaching staff isn’t doing anything about it.”
Oviedo police said it was an alleged simple assault. A spokesperson said it does not appear anyone wants to prosecute and they said the school will handle the situation internally.
“If a female was held up against a locker and a male placed their fingers into the female’s behind, we would have a totally different story here. Why is there a double standard for the boys?” the football player's mother said.
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The player's parents said if Oviedo police will not file charges, they are going to.
They said everyone knows it was their son who filed the report and they said he may eventually have to transfer to another school to play for fear of retaliation.
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