3 students face long-term suspensions for Garfield High School hazing incident

SEATTLE -- Officials at Seattle’s Garfield High School on Friday explained more about the status of 11 students who faced emergency expulsion for their alleged participation in hazing activities.

The school now says two students were misidentified, so their expulsions were revoked.   Of the other nine students, six received short-term suspensions ranging from five to nine days. Three others received more serious, long-term suspensions, one for 15 days and two for 20 days.   Since the students were credited for days they’ve been out of school already, the six who received short-term suspensions are back in school.

The school will also prohibit all of the students from attending school dances, assemblies and the Senior Prom.

A statement released indicates how seriously the Seattle School District is taking the incident:

“Garfield staff is working with students and families to facilitate conversations about student hazing and what types of strategies can be introduced to prevent it. The school is also committed to helping students address the peer pressure involved in participating in these activities,” the statement reads.

The school issued the suspensions after its principal discovered the students were taking part in a hazing party at the Washington Park Arboretum that involved egging, paddling, painting students with shoe polish and even forcing them to wear diapers.

In an e-mail to parents last week, Garfield Principal Ted Howard said a group of about 100 students was drinking liquor and beer.   Other Garfield students we talked with say no students were hazed that didn’t want to be hazed.

All of students who were disciplined are appealing their suspensions.