Churchill County School District settles hazing suit

More than four years after a hazing scandal rocked the high school wrestling program, the Churchill County School District has reached a settlement as a result of the incident.

According to federal documents filed with the U.S. District Court in Reno, the district settled with Dee Gregory for $712,500.

Of the total, $296,714 is for attorney fees, $104,670 is for the victim’s medical expenses, $310,115 will be distributed to the victim and $1,000 goes to Gregory to satisfy disputes with the district. The $104,670 is subject to a lien by the Navy, according to the settlement, as the victim received medical and psychological treatment paid for by the Navy as a benefit to the father.

One of Gregory’s sons was the victim of hazing at a wrestling tournament in Las Vegas in December 2010 that involved five teammates. The victim was tied with duct tape, stripped, spanked with a spatula, urinated on and locked outside his hotel room.

Gregory, who was an assistant coach at the time, was coaching at a junior varsity tournament in Northern Nevada.

“It was a serious case with serious consequences,” said Gregory’s attorney, Cal Dunlap. “We select cases that we hope that our actions will not only make the individual whole, but reform the system. We have been given assurance that the long tradition of athletic hazing has come to an end.”

The former students were all suspended from Churchill County High School in January 2011 after serving numerous suspensions prior to the district’s board of trustees ruling.

“I think it’s in the best interest to have this piece behind us, so that we can move forward,” said school district attorney Ann Alexander. “We just want to continue to strengthen training, strengthen policies and strengthen procedures to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”