The Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, and a Catholic high school are scheduled to enter a mediation process with several families who allege that the school allowed physical assault, sexual harassment and assault, stalking, and hazing to occur during school activities.
According to local NBC affiliate WFMJ, the families allege that a football player at Ursuline High School assaulted a 14-year-old female student during a summer gym class by picking her up, dropping her, and dragging her about 30 feet across an athletic field. The student reportedly sustained severe turf burns and other physical injuries from the assault. The complaint also claims that before the physical assault, the same football player had been sexually harassing and stalking the girl.
“The complaint further states that school administrators discouraged the family from contacting the police and failed to report the incident to the state child protective services as required by law,” WFMJ reported.
Other families in the complaint allege that older football players hazed younger team members during a football camp trip in June 2025, subjecting them to physical abuse and sexual assault. According to WFMJ, while the families say that Principal Matthew Sammartino, Head Coach Daniel Reardon, assistant coaches, and the diocese were aware of the risks and failed to protect the students, the school administrators say they followed proper procedure. The defendants have denied any wrongdoing and have called for the court to dismiss the suit.
In an attempt to resolve the case before it heads to trial, a federal judge set a mediation conference for Jan. 23 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carmen Hendersen. WFMJ reported that Henderson will work with both the families and the school to seek a compromise, but if the conference does not result in a settlement, the case will likely proceed to trial.
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