New Mexico State halts males’s basketball program for the rest of season after hazing allegations

New Mexico State is halting its males’s basketball program amid an investigation into alleged hazing between gamers, CBS Sports activities’ Matt Norlander confirms. The Aggies, who’ve simply 5 regular-season video games remaining, already canceled a Feb. 11 sport towards Cal Baptist following the allegations. 

The college beforehand introduced it was suspending workforce operations and inserting the teaching workers on paid administrative depart “till additional discover.” The choice got here on the behest of New Mexico State chancellor Dan Arvizu after being made conscious of the hazing allegations. 

“We took this motion after receiving experiences of alleged hazing incidents inside our males’s basketball workforce,” mentioned Arvizu. “Our gamers and coaches have been in California on the time getting ready to play Cal Baptist. To make sure we totally understood this example, we canceled that sport, referred to as the workforce again to Las Cruces and positioned the teaching workers on paid administrative depart. As soon as our student-athletes arrived on campus, they have been met and interviewed by college personnel who’re specifically educated to conduct investigations into these sorts of issues.”

In line with a police report obtained by KTSM-TV, three gamers are going through a trio of offenses, together with one rely of false imprisonment, one rely of harassment and two counts of prison sexual contact. The sufferer, a member of the basketball workforce, claims that on Feb. 6, 2023, three members of the workforce whose names have been redacted within the police report “held him down with him going through down, eliminated his clothes exposing his buttocks and commenced to ‘slap his ass.’ He additionally went on to state that in addition they touched his scrotum.”

Incidents of abuse have allegedly been happening since summer time of 2022. The sufferer then went to campus police on Feb. 10 to file a report for potential assault, although no prison prices have been area. 

In its preliminary assertion, NMSU mentioned solely that the allegations contain potential violations of college coverage which can be “separate from the occasions that occurred in Albuquerque late final 12 months.”

In November, a New Mexico State participant was hospitalized after a capturing on New Mexico’s campus within the early morning hours earlier than the in-state rivals have been scheduled to play. The participant, Mike Peake, was hospitalized after which suspended for his position within the incident, which left a New Mexico scholar useless.

“A very powerful job I’ve as Chancellor of the NMSU System is to make sure our college students are secure and shielded from hurt,” added Arvizu. “That is why I used to be so heartbroken and sickened to listen to about these hazing allegations. Hazing is a despicable act. It humiliates and degrades somebody and has the potential to trigger bodily and emotional hurt, and even demise. Sadly, hazing can turn into a part of a company’s tradition, if left unchecked. NMSU coverage strictly prohibits hazing, in all kinds, and it is one thing we merely won’t tolerate.”

The Aggies are 9-15 and 2-10 within the WAC after ending final season 27-7 and beating No. 5 seed UConn in a first-round NCAA Match sport. Following final season, coach Chris Jans left for Mississippi State and the college employed Heiar from Northwest Florida State, an influence within the junior school ranks. Heiar beforehand labored as an assistant at ETSU, LSU, Wichita State and Southern Miss.

New Mexico State’s Board of Regents launched an announcement saying it helps this system’s suspension “and is assured a full and thorough investigation can be performed.”