Wall Township High School Football Player Accused of Sexual Assault; Incident Unrelated to Hazing Investigation

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A Wall Township High School football player already involved in an ongoing investigation into a locker room hazing incident has been accused of sexual assault, according to a report by our Townsquare Media affiliate New Jersey 101.5.

The student is accused of sexually assaulting at least one female student in an off-campus incident unrelated to the hazing allegations. That accused student has been released from custody. Because he is a minor and has not been charged as an adult, his name has not been released by authorities.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is currently investigating the hazing incident that alleges some upperclassmen on the football team bullied and hazed underclassmen inside the school's locker room, according to multiple reports by NJ Advance Media and News 12 New Jersey.

News 12 reported that there is a video that shows a student allegedly sexually assaulting another player.

On Wednesday, some parents who said they had viewed the video told NJ.com the hazing incident involved juniors attacking sophomores, and that a group of players attempted to hold down a younger player and assault him. The video shows one of the players holding the stick end of a mop or broom. Voices can be heard in the background urging the attackers to stop.

News 12 New Jersey reported that the MCPO is in possession of at least one video.

On Thursday, News 12 reported that several teaches/football coaches were put on administrative leave.

"I will say I trust I really trust the process, I trust that our detectives and assistant prosecutors that work in our office on every matter that they handle will do everything to the fullest extent possible," acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linksey told News 12.

When contacted for comment, the Wall Township School District released a statement saying "Upon becoming aware of the allegation, we immediately contacted the appropriate authorities. There is a pending investigation and the school district is cooperating fully. We cannot comment further on a pending investigation of a student matter."

Additional inquiries to the Wall Township Police Department were referred to the MCPO, which said that "juvenile records are by their nature confidential, therefore we cannot confirm or deny any details about this matter."

Wall was scheduled to host Delsea in an NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 semifinal playoff game on Friday night, but that game has been canceled by the district amid the investigation. The Crimson Knights defeated Hopewell Valley, 42-7, last Friday in the quarterfinal round. Wall is 6-3 on the season and ranked No. 5 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, and has been one of New Jersey's best teams over the last three seasons. The Knights finished No. 1 in the Shore Conference in 2019 and 2020 and were also ranked No. 1 in the state by NJ.com at the conclusion of last season.

Wall is scheduled to play Manasquan in the annual Thanksgiving Day game between the two programs. Currently, no changes have been made to the status of that game.