2 Plead Guilty in High School Football Hazing

Two 18-year-old Hutchinson High School students pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in a hazing incident involving “branding” of some of the school’s football players.

Jaiden Casanova and Kendric Hudson pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor charges alleging they used hot hangers to brand four freshmen football players in the school’s locker room. They had faced felony battery charges but pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor hazing.

The Hutchinson News reports both will serve one year on probation and a 30-day jail sentence. A 16-year-old also charged in the case was placed in state juvenile custody for out-of-home placement.

The investigation found no evidence that similar incidents had happened before, or that the coaches were aware of it.

Prosecutors said the branding involved small marks on the players’ abdomens.