Trish Mehaffey, CR Gazette –
UPDATE: Four former Lisbon High School wrestlers were charged Thursday with misdemeanor assault charges for multiple incidents of bullying which came to light in late December.
Nathan Taylor Jubeck, 18, and Dakota Christian VanDyke, 18, are charged with misdemeanor assault stemming from an incident in the shower at the school’s locker room, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.
Delinquency charges of assault and third-degree harassment have also been filed in juvenile court against Hunter Hutchison, 17, and Austin Edwards, 17, for incidents which occurred in the wrestling room, according to a news release from the Linn County Attorney’s Office Thursday.
The allegations came to light in December, when a 15-year-old member of the team reported to school officials and the Lisbon Police Department that some upperclassmen of the team held him down while others allegedly placed their genitalia in his face, according to the release. The incident occurred before the coaches arrived and practice began.
In another reported incident, other wrestlers allegedly urinated on the 15-year-old in the shower of the locker room after practice concluded, according to the release. The 15-year-old didn’t immediately report the abuse until some of the members threatened to continue such acts against him.
Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden said he asked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to assist Lisbon Police after officers identified at least three other victims on the team, who when questioned, reported being subjected to the same type of physical contact. Vander Sanden said the families of these three other alleged victims requested that criminal charges not be filed on their behalf.
Vander Sanden said the wrestling coaches were interviewed and denied knowledge of the incidents, and investigators never received information from any source suggesting the coaching staff was aware of the alleged abuse, he said.
The DCI also interviewed the families of the students who didn’t want to pursue charges to confirm their decisions, Vander Sanden said. Wrestlers who were accused of committing the acts were questioned, and investigators also subpoenaed the written records of the investigation conducted by the Lisbon School District.
The school district hasn’t released the results of its investigation. Superintendent Brad Laures released a statement after wrestling practiced was canceled in December, saying they started an investigation into a “student behavior issue.” There was no information released on how many students were disciplined or punished.
Here’s the news release on the case from the Linn County Attorney’s Office:
Today the Linn County Attorney’s Office filed charges in connection with an investigation into allegations of inappropriate and offensive physical contact by members of the Lisbon wrestling team against other students on the team. The investigation was initiated on December 19th, 2011 when a fifteen (15) year old member of the wrestling team reported to school authorities and the Lisbon Police Department that certain upperclassmen of the wrestling team had committed several offensive and abusive physical acts against him. He reported that some members of the team had held him down while others allegedly placed their exposed genitals in his face in a practice referred as “tea-bagging.” These incidents allegedly took place in the wrestling room before the coaches arrived and practice began. On another occasion, other wrestlers had allegedly urinated on him in the shower of the locker room after practice concluded. The fifteen year old victim did not immediately disclose the abuse but decided to report the incidents when some threatened to continue future such acts against him.
While conducting the official investigation into the matter, the Lisbon Police Department was able to identify at least three other victims on the wrestling team who, when questioned, reported being subjected to the same type of inappropriate and offensive physical contact. However, the families of these three students requested that criminal charges not be filed on their behalf. None of the victims who were questioned indicated that the coaching staff had any knowledge of the incidents being investigated.
On January 4th, 2012, the Linn County Attorney requested that the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation assist the Lisbon Police Department in their investigation. The wrestling coaches were interviewed and all denied knowledge about any of the incidents of physical abuse being described by members of the team. Investigators never received information from any source suggesting that the coaching staff was aware of the incidents being reported. The DCI also re-contacted the families of the students who did not wish to pursue charges to confirm their preference that no criminal charges be filed on their behalf. Efforts were also made to question the wrestlers who were alleged to have committed these acts and investigators subpoenaed the written records of the investigation conducted by the Lisbon School District into the incidents.
Based upon the information gathered in the investigation, charges of assault have been filed against Nathan Taylor Jubeck (DOB: 8/28/1993) and Dakota Christian VanDyke (DOB: 1/24/1994) stemming from the alleged incident in the shower of the locker room. In addition, delinquency charges of Assault and Harassment in the 3rd Degree have been filed in juvenile court against Hunter Hutchison (DOB: 11/22/1994) and Austin Edwards (DOB: 5/20/1994) based upon the alleged incidents which occurred in the wrestling room. It is important to note that the charges themselves are only allegations and that the defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
It is my earnest hope and desire this kid, with the help of a high powered attorney sues the hell out of the school district and wins. Then each of the four little perverts individually and wins again.. I hope the two of the four end up on the sex offender list(because only 2were 18).. Next I want their parents in the street due to legal fees. Or send them all to prison where Big Tyrone can put his nuts in there face every night.. Oh wait I forgot these are big bad wrestlers I’m sure the inmates would be shitting themselves with fear especially if they showed up in their tights…
I am from the school that had this problem. All the wrestlers involved were punished and some were suspended for awhile. It brought bad attention to our school and I am very upset with the boys who did this to them, because that is a very rude way to treat your classmates and it can get you into deep trouble as they have learned. The parents of the victim that filed charges however did not sue the school, I did not find out any reason why, and (I was able to obtain the names of the victims but I am not going to mention them because I am a reporter for the school newspaper and I could get in trouble for doing so myself, but all of the information that I have put in this comment is true, and are people still raging on about this story, it happened last year, it’s a new year come on let’s drop this subject and start new, if it was your school that it happened at would you want people talking about it like they are about it now, think about it, our school needs another chance and this time we’ll get it right, we won’t have anymore screw ups like this, in fact our school has an antibullying program, called The Voice and it teaches younger kids to treat their classmates with respect and tell a teacher if they see something wrong, or heard something wrong, or saw something that could hurt somebody, or it hurt them, the program’s motto is Be Strong, Stand Up, and Use Your Voice, and it really has helped, of course the high school doesn’t do it because they are the ones that are teaching it to the kids, but they are the ones who really had the bullying problem, I help out with the classes every now and then if I am not busy with the paper which takes up most of my study hall, which is when we teach the classes to the kids, that way we don’t miss any of our classes.
) At least our football team made a name for ourselves, we were state champions in Class 1 A and we had no losses last year. I think that Lisbon has recovered because we had three boys who made it to State for wrestling and we had two 1 places and 1 second place, so our wrestling program has an okay future or so I think they do, all they have to do is have someone in the lockeroom to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,because I bet that if there were someone in the lockeroom, this would have never happened in the first place.
I’ve not known many wrestlers of good character. As a group they seemed to be plagued by many emotional and mental problems during their lifetime.
There are many wrestlers of good character. You obviously must not be from around here and actually know any of the kids in Nora Springs, Manly, Clear Lake, or Mason City.
Just let the court system play out. Everybody jumps to conclusions and immediately starts condemning the school and wrestlers all based off of 1 persons statements. 3 out of 4 sets of parents didn’t feel like charges should be pressed. Maybe you guys should start condemning the vultures, I mean lawyer$$$$ who are pushing for a case.
Clueless Katie, You’re assuming we somehow osmosed information from the article that wasn’t there. Talk about jumping to conclusions.
When I read that 3 parents out of 4 don’t want to press charges, I can hear 3 scared boys in the background begging their parents not to make matters worse for them at school. Or there are business relationships or friendships between the parents of those 3 children and the parents of the alleged bullies, and those parents are afraid to make waves, or on and on. I really see only one kid and one set of parents who have the tea bags to stand up to these alleged bullies and their parents. This kind of crap has been going on at schools for years. Worse happened to my genetically damaged nephew 30 years ago and no one put a stop to it then and I never knew about it until years later. It’s time that these sexually abused and intimidated children get their day in court and something happens to bullies that will make it clear to other bullies that this behavior will not be tolerated. It is a societal problem that needs to be dealt with. We have to stop sweeping this problem under the rug just because they are kids.
I am glad that the school suspended these wrestlers. With 4 students alleging that these students did this to them, they deserved to miss out on a “special” season. They know they have to keep their noses clean to stay in sports. If it is proven that any of the victims lied, then they are the ones who should be charged and the penalty should also be harsh for them.
I am not a person who brings this country down. I believe in due process. But it did NOT say the wrestlers had been suspended and that was upsetting. And I do believe that schools and students place far too much emphasis on sports and not enough on academics. I cringe when I read resumes from young people.
It is young people who are allowed to get by with bullying behavior in their youth who go on to drag this country down. If they go on to college, they are the ones involved in the outrageous hazing incidents. I could go on and on about the adult bullies in our society and the damage they do to others. Can you say domestic assault? I have dealt with bullies in my businesses for 45 years and some of them are very dangerous people. They are one of the reasons why some business people need to arm themselves. When bullies go ballistic, you may not have time to dial 911, let alone wait for the cops to get there.
If even one of the allegations is true, these boys need to be punished in a way that will keep them from ever humiliating another human being again.
I agree, these r sum bad dudes. And they wrestle dirty too. Lock em up!
Clueless Katie you could be right, but most people can only comment on what they read from the news articles that are posted. I guess that the CR Gazette should have given a more accurate discription of what really happened. You sound like a person who has the real facts, maybe one of the culprits is your son??? Please tell what really happened so we’ll know better then to believe the CR Gazette… I for one would like to know the truth..
You idiots should get the facts before spouting off on here. The wrestlers involved were immediately kicked off the team. They weren’t coddled and nothing was covered up. The innocent wrestlers go screwed out of a special season. I will also add that these are allegations and not facts. Why don’t you guys let the court system work it out. I know for a fact some of these allegations are false. People like Katie bring this whole country down.
Fact enough that two agencies investigated the incidents, and approved charges against the miscreants. The agencies involved seem to think they have a case, and so does the Linn County attorney.
That being the case, yes, let the legal system take it’s course and judge the evidence. However, if multiple charges were filed, there is more than just than appearance of impropriety.
They didn’t want to ruin the wrestling season by finishing their investigation and filing charges before it was over! I bet the bullies were their star wrestlers. Schools always protect their sports assets. Sports are way more important than academics, don’t ya know?
I’m confused here, the time between the first incident report and the news release seems like a long time, and the school still hasn’t released their investigation report. Reads kind of fishy, maybe a coverup by the school, hoping it will go away. Hopefully it won’t. I see the money the state gave out to schools to help identify bullying is working. These guys need to be expelled from school and put on the sex offender list.
Disgusting bullies! They should be arrested!!