HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced today that his office has filed charges against nine former Mount Carmel High School football players for their involvement in a 2020 hazing incident.
Following a referral from the Northumberland County District Attorney’s Office, the Office of Attorney General began an investigation into allegations of hazing that occurred amongst members of the Mount Carmel High School football team in 2020. The investigation revealed that in two separate incidents football players were invited to football captain Reed Witowski’s house to watch game footage. During the watch party, football captains Reed Witowski, Damon Dowkus and another captain who was a juvenile at the time, and other members of the team burned the new starting players with lit burning sticks and sparklers as part of an informal initiation.
The team captains, Reed Witowski, Damon Dowkus, and another individual who was a juvenile at the time, have been charged with Hazing, Simple Assault, and Intimidation of a Victim. Other members of the team including, Tyler Owens, Michael Balichik, and four others who were juveniles at the time of the incident, have been charged with Hazing and Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Hazing.
This matter is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Joseph Sembrot. The defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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