Roncalli High School Football Players Allegedly Abused Boy with Down Syndrome

Several members of the Roncalli High School football team in Indianapolis allegedly abused a 15-year-old team manager who has Down syndrome, according to Vic Ryckaert of the Indianapolis Star. 

The boy told his family one of the members of the team initially filmed him while he was urinating and said he was going to put it on Snapchat, the boy's mother, Lesli Woodruff, told Ryckaert. The school said that the football player in question never posted the video online, however. The school's dean watched him delete the file and reprimanded the boy for his actions.

But the football players then allegedly took revenge on the boy, Jack, for telling his parents about the video:

"As the football players were getting ready for the Sept. 27 homecoming game, Woodruff said that same boy who took the video now threatened to kill Jack and his family if Jack ever told on him again. A different boy on the team, Woodruff said, pulled Jack's head to his chest and forced Jack to suck his nipple. At 5'4", Jack is much smaller than most boys on the Roncalli football team."

Several of the players also allegedly took videos. Jack did not tell his family what had happened out of fear of retaliation, and Woodruff only learned about it after "an anonymous letter sent by a team parent on Oct. 2 that [described] the incident and other boys 'laughing.'"

Woodruff reported the incident to police, and four boys have been listed as suspects in a child molestation and forcible fondling investigation. Jack no longer attends the school.

"It feels very much like a betrayal from the school and from the Catholic Church," Woodruff said.

Greg Otolski, the spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, told Rychakert that "students have been suspended and one is no longer attending Roncalli. Following the outcome of the police investigation, further action may be taken."