A Campbell County mother says her 16-year-old autistic son Matthew was bullied and hazed by members of the Campbell County High School football team, in an incident she says she learned about on Nov. 8, when the school contacted her. Kayla Gross alleges that one student exposed himself to Matthew and pulled down his pants, and that four other students participated in the hazing.
Gross spoke exclusively with WCPO about the allegations, saying Matthew told her the student who exposed himself acted because Matthew had looked at him. Gross also said other boys threatened Matthew not to tell anyone, said crude sexual things to him, and exploited his belief that they were his friends. She said students threw ice at Matthew as part of the alleged hazing.
According to a petition described in the WCPO report, all five students received one-day suspensions, while only two were removed from the football team. Campbell County Schools, for its part, said it could not confirm or deny whether an alleged incident occurred or whether the individuals involved were students in the district.
District Response Stops Short of Confirming Details
In its statement, the district said, “Our schools have established procedures in place should situations arise that warrant action,” and added that it takes student safety and well-being seriously. The station reported that the statement was issued as the district addressed questions about the allegations.
Gross said Matthew has since returned to school, but that her family is now pursuing legal options and seeking legal counsel. She said her priority is protecting her son and making sure other students do not experience similar treatment.
“She said her priority is protecting her son and making sure other students do not experience similar treatment,” according to the same WCPO report, which also noted Gross wants the students involved to understand that their actions were wrong and unacceptable, and that she hopes their families get them help.
Community Members Voice Concerns Over Handling of Complaints
Former Campbell County High School students, parents and community members have spoken out in support of Matthew and his family, per the station's account. Some former students told the outlet they have concerns about how the school handles bullying and harassment reports more broadly, with one, Tiana Mounts, saying reports to school administration often do not lead to action. Another, Jasmine Johnson, said bullying, assaults and harassment complaints are often swept under the rug.
Gross believes the alleged bullying may be part of a larger, overlooked issue at the school, the report states. A social media petition cited in the same coverage calls for greater accountability and disciplinary action against the students involved, while some people familiar with Matthew described him as considered the heart of the football team.
What the District's Discipline Code Says About Bullying
Campbell County Schools' 2025-2026 discipline code defines bullying as unwanted verbal, physical or social behavior among students involving a real or perceived power imbalance that is repeated or has the potential to be repeated, according to the Campbell County Schools Discipline Code. The code states that anyone in the school environment who witnesses or experiences bullying can report it verbally or in writing to school or district officials, and it prohibits retaliation against students or employees who report violations. It also applies on school property during regular hours and at school-sponsored functions, including athletic activities.
Separately, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has said educational institutions have a responsibility to ensure equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities, citing Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act as the basis for that responsibility. That general statement does not determine whether any specific conduct violated the law.
Pattern of Bullying Concerns in the District and State
Bullying complaints are not new to Campbell County Schools. During the 2022-23 school year, harassment incidents made up 18.1% of all reported behavior events in the district, the largest share among the three biggest Northern Kentucky districts, according to LINK nky. By comparison, harassment accounted for 7% of behavior events in Boone County Schools and 4.4% in Kenton County Schools that same year.
Statewide, the 2023 CDC Youth Risk Behavior survey found that about 41% of surveyed Kentucky middle schoolers reported being bullied in person, compared with 29% who reported being bullied online, the outlet reported. Among high schoolers, 22.5% reported in-person bullying versus 18.3% online. Kentucky recorded 19,000 reported bullying incidents statewide in 2022, the most recent year for which data was cited as available.
In September 2022, parents of Campbell County students demanded consequences after a video reportedly showed a student being held down and assaulted on a bus ride to a football game, as reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer. At the time, then-Superintendent Shelli Wilson confirmed an investigation was underway into a situation involving district transportation.
Hazing allegations tied to high school football have also surfaced elsewhere in Kentucky. In September 2025, Kentucky State Police investigated a possible hazing incident involving McCreary Central High School's football team, with the agency saying its investigation was in its early stages and that it could then confirm only allegations of hazing, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. In a separate case out of the same county, a student who said they were sexually assaulted at a football camp sued the McCreary County School District, its superintendent and its head football coach, alleging negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, assault, defamation and Title IX violations.
Campbell County Schools has urged people to consider the potential harm of sharing content involving minors as the Matthew Gross allegations circulate in the community. For now, the district maintains it cannot confirm or deny whether the alleged incident occurred or whether those involved are district students, even as the Gross family says it is moving forward with legal options.
