Mater Dei athlete told police that teammates sexually assaulted him

A Mater Dei High School football player told the Santa Ana Police Department that he was sexually assaulted by teammates in the school’s locker room last August, according to a police report.

The report is the latest revelation of alleged hazing and sexual harassment and assault by Mater Dei football players within the school’s locker rooms.

According to the report, the Mater Dei player told police “he was sexually assaulted by several members of the football team in the locker room” on August 31.

The victim stated, the report said, “teammates pulled out their penises and showed them to him while holding him down on the ground. Incident was reported to his coach (UNK NAME) who then reported it to school officials.

“One teammate also began humping (victim) from behind with his pants on. (Victim) did not report any injuries and denied penetration.

“He is now experiencing anxiety due to incident.”

The Los Angeles Times broke the story on the report on Monday evening.

The incident raises new questions about the culture within the nation’s premier high school football program and Mater Dei head football coach Bruce Rollinson and his staff’s willingness to monitor his team’s behavior, especially in the school’s locker room.

“It is, and has long been, the Diocese of Orange policy not to comment on matters involving minors, including incidents regarding current and former students,” said Bradley Zint, spokesman for the diocese.

“Regarding the assessment at Mater Dei High School, that is ongoing. We have no completion date to announce yet.”

A Mater Dei football player suffered a traumatic brain injury, a broken nose and other head injuries after being punched by a teammate, 50 pounds heavier than him, during a Feb. 4, 2021 alleged hazing ritual called “Bodies” in two Mater Dei locker rooms while some Monarchs players who were present shouted racial epithets at the smaller player, according to two videos of the altercation obtained by the Orange County Register.

The injuries were the results of a series of blows to the head that would prompt a Santa Ana Police Department investigator to recommend the Orange County District Attorney’s juvenile division file felony battery charges against the other player, according to a police report obtained by the Register

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges. The smaller player’s family has filed suit against Mater Dei and the Diocese of Orange in Orange County Superior Court.

Videos from 2018 showing Mater Dei High School football players acting out simulated sex acts on other players and alleged hazing. Fights in the school’s locker room would be part of an investigation into the culture of the Monarch football and athletic programs, then Mater Dei president Father Walter Jenkins confirmed to the Register in December. Jenkins resigned his post a few days later.

One video is a compilation of events taking place largely in the Mater Dei football locker room and begins with a Monarch player sneaking up behind a smaller player and placing a bag or pillowcase over the head of the smaller player who is then surrounded by other players. The video continues to show a fight among players while other players cheered, players simulating sex acts on each other, at least six players surrounding and simultaneously slapping a cowering player, a player being dragged across the locker-room past a condom and a semi-nude player sitting on a toilet.

A second video titled “Miss Summer Ball” shows a Mater Dei player approaching a seated player and then starting to pull down the sitting player’s shorts and underwear off and then acting out simulated sexual acts on the player while at least 20 teammates cheered, laughed and filmed the incident with their cell phones.

Both videos were posted on social media accounts of Mater Dei players. Mater Dei confirmed that the videos are from 2018

Former Mater Dei athletic director Amanda Waters said in a recent sworn deposition that there was frequent property damage in the Mater Dei football locker room including sinks ripped off the wall, broken sinks and mirrors.

Waters in the deposition said Rollinson rebuffed 10 requests to monitor the school’s locker room.

“I don’t have time to do that (expletive)” Waters recalled Rollinson saying. “(That) would be the same comment over and over.”

Source: Orange County Register