A Marcus High School football player says what should have been a routine team dinner in Flower Mound turned into a humiliating and painful hazing ordeal. After an off-campus gathering on Oct. 22, he says teammates corralled him, stripped him and shot him multiple times with a pellet gun. His parents say he was also called a racial slur and that video of the incident later circulated on social media. Lewisville ISD has since concluded the episode met its policies on hazing and bullying and has outlined a list of corrective steps.
The teen’s parents, who asked to be identified only as Amy and Doug, told NBC 5 Dallas‑Fort Worth that their son stayed silent about what happened for five days before finally coming forward. They said roughly 40 seconds of video from the episode were turned over to police. According to the parents, he was struck eight times and left with pellet wounds on his torso, arms and back, while teammates pulled off his clothing and taunted him. They told the station they reported the incident to Marcus High leadership but later felt the school’s response lacked transparency and accountability.
District Probe Found Hazing And Ordered Corrective Steps
Lewisville ISD said its internal review included more than 70 student interviews, more than 20 staff interviews, meetings with 13 parents, searches of district staff emails and a review of SportsYou messages between students and staff. In written findings, the district concluded that “The Incident of Concern met the LISD Board Policy FNCC definition of ‘hazing’ and appropriate disciplinary consequences were issued,” according to NBC 5 Dallas‑Fort Worth.
The district said it did not find a program-wide culture of hazing, but it did identify a history of hazing among a specific group of players. Officials listed several corrective measures, including moving team dinners to on-campus locations with supervision, increasing locker room supervision, providing additional staff training and adding more administrative support for the program.
Legal Implications And Investigations
Hazing in Texas is specifically addressed under Texas Education Code Section 51.936, which defines hazing to include physical brutality and other acts that endanger a student’s health or safety. Penalties can range from school discipline to criminal fines or confinement, depending on how severe the harm is. The statute also provides immunity for people who report hazing in good faith, and school districts commonly pursue administrative discipline at the same time they consider criminal referrals when the circumstances warrant it.
Local authorities have said they cannot release details on this case while it remains an active juvenile investigation.
Hazing Prevention And What Parents Should Watch For
National prevention groups say hazing frequently begins in high school and is particularly common in athletics. The Gordie Center at the University of Virginia estimates that roughly 47% of college students report having been hazed while in high school. Experts recommend clear reporting channels, bystander training and adult supervision at off-campus gatherings, which mirror several of the safeguards the district has committed to implement.
Families who suspect a student has been hazed are encouraged to preserve any evidence, report concerns to school officials and contact law enforcement.
Lewisville ISD says it has closed its internal review and will move forward with the listed safeguards. The parents say they will continue pushing for personnel changes and greater transparency. The criminal investigation remains open, and officials have said they will release information when allowed under juvenile procedure rules.
