Four New Jersey high school baseball players are suspended while authorities investigate whether a player was reportedly bitten during a hazing ritual.
School district officials say the incident involved members of the Florence Township High School Varsity Baseball team on March 22. Students at the school say a freshman member of the team was bitten during a ritual known as "badgering."
"It's a hazing thing and it's been around for a long time," said one student.
School superintendent Donna Ambrosius says the four players allegedly involved were immediately suspended from the team.
"We immediately launched an internal investigation," she said. "As a result of the investigation, our findings are that a small group of players acted in an inappropriate manner. Disciplinary action has been taken for those involved per the school district's code of conduct."
She also says the team's coach Joseph Frappolli Jr. knew nothing about the incident and has not been disciplined.
The team has been playing without the suspended players.
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“The players have not been with the team since they were pulled when the incident was reported,” Ambrosius said. “We would like to try and get the team back together and move forward, but only if we know the students are safe.”
The superintendent would not disclose the names of the players who are suspended or the player who was bitten.
The Florence Township Mayor's Office told NBC10's Cydney Long that neither the town or police had any knowledge of the incident until Tuesday.
