High school football players allegedly sexually assaulted by teammates at notable California program

A sophomore football player at Santa Margarita, along with 'at least 8' others, were allegedly sexually assaulted by their teammates, according to the Orange County Register's report.

Santa Margarita football coach Anthony Rouzier was put on administrative leave October 1 by the school. On October 30, the Orange County Register reported football players were allegedly sexually assaulted by teammates. /

The Orange County Register reported Santa Margarita Catholic High School football players were allegedly sexually assaulted by teammates.

The initial report was published Wednesday morning by investigative reporter Scott Reid, who was also the first to report on the Mater Dei football hazing scandal in November of 2021.

Santa Margarita football coach Anthony Rouzier was placed on administrative leave Oct. 1 by the school. Wednesday's news possibly sheds light on why that decision was made.

The report, derived from interviews, emails and court findings, shares details of an incident on Sept. 24 when a 15-year-old sophomore football player, "tried to enter the team’s locker room to get dressed for practice" before being let in to what could be described as a trap.

"Waiting in the room a short distance from the football coaches’ offices were 15 to 18 varsity players standing in front of the lockers. All of them seemed to be staring at the sophomore," the story reads.

"Suddenly a player shouted, “Get him!” and the lights were switched off. Two players pounced on the sophomore, slamming him into a locker, injuring his right shoulder and arm, and then, joined by other players, pulled the sophomore to the ground, according to interviews, medical records including photos, Santa Margarita emails and court filings obtained by the Register."

According to the report, the sophomore football player tried to escape "as Santa Margarita players took turns sexually assaulting him, “touching, grabbing, pulling and twisting” his genitals while six to eight players held him down, some of his teammates sitting on his shoulders, others holding his legs, players banging on lockers to drown out the sophomore’s cries for help and the other players’ cheering and repeated chants ..."

The alleged sexual assault lasted around 15 seconds, according to the OC Register.

The story seems to take a deeper turn after the alleged assault. The young teenager is "dissuaded" from seeking assistance when heading for the training room.

According to the Register, a teammate told the sophomore, "It’s football, you knew what you were signing up for," and later another teammate said, "Oh, yeah, that’s what they do."

Santa Margarita principal Cheri Wood told the Register "at least 8" other Santa Margarita players were allegedly assaulted by their teammates in a similar manner.

The Diocese of Orange spokesperson issued the following statement:

"The Diocese of Orange and Santa Margarita Catholic High School take these allegations seriously and are committed to addressing them thoroughly and transparently. From the outset, Santa Margarita Catholic High School has cooperated fully with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which conducted a comprehensive investigation. Moreover, the school swiftly took certain personnel actions as a precautionary measure.

Upon the conclusion of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation, in which no evidence of sexual assault was found, the school initiated an internal review led by the principal to examine the situation further.

On October 29, Santa Margarita Catholic High School retained Simmons Wagner, an independent third-party investigative firm with 56 years of combined experience, to conduct an additional, impartial review. These measures reflect a responsible and proactive approach as the investigation continues.

The Diocese and Santa Margarita Catholic High School remain deeply dedicated to fostering safe, supportive environments for all our students.”

• FULL STORY BY ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Eagles are currently 3-6 this season under interim coach Steve Fifita, who was the team's defensive coordinator before taking over once Rouzier was put on leave. Santa Margarita is 0-4 in Trinity League play with its final game of the regular season coming Friday, November 1 at home against Servite (6-3).

The Trinity League is recognized as the most competitive high school football league in the country. It includes national powers Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, along with regional powers Orange Lutheran, Santa Margarita, JSerra and Servite.

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