ORLANDO — A lawsuit is being filed against Windermere Preparatory School in Orlando after a father alleged that his son was inappropriately touched and assaulted by members of the school's football team.
The father claims that the school's administrators did not protect his son, who was 16 years old at the time of the incident.
William McBride, an attorney at McBride, Scicchitano & Leacox, P.A. who is representing the plaintiff, said he expected more individuals would come forward as the investigation unfolded.
"We filed suit against the Nord Anglia Holding Corporation, which is the parent company of Windermere Prep and schools across the world, and also against Windermere Prep, the headmaster, and against the athletic director and head football coach," William McBride told the Florida Record.
McBride's firm is representing the minors in the case. He said the head football coach had allegedly used the term "rape and pillage" as part of a motivational speech for the football team, a phrase that quickly started to affect the culture of the team.
"As a result, the students, we don't know if the coach had knowledge or not, started a 'rape and pillage' Snapchat and on that Snapchat, my client was able to take screenshots of one situation," McBride said.
The situation involved one of the team members threatening to assault the plaintiff's infant sister, McBride said. Additionally, the plaintiff claims that boys on the team were also physically restrained by other team members, who then proceeded to sexually assault the restrained individuals.
"In the state of Florida, if there's any sort of penetration, that's rape and, unfortunately, my client was subjected to inappropriate touching," McBride said.
McBride explained that this type of assault is usually upperclassmen attacking those in the grades below them, but this type of behavior is not to be tolerated.
"The coach was suspended a week without pay and the students were suspended a week," McBride said. "My client cannot go back to school there because he is now being targeted for bullying."
McBride explained that one of his main concerns was that the administration had no procedural plan to monitor the boys' locker room, which he fears will only perpetuate the "rape and pillage" culture that has been allowed to take hold at the school.