THE UNIVERSITY of Maine Student Code of Conduct defines hazing as "any action taken or situation created recklessly or intentionally by an organization or with the knowledge or consent of any organization – to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarassment, harassment, ridicule to any member or prospective member, or violation of law."
Besides forcing the team to start practice a week later, the school handed out multigame suspensions to three individual players and placed the softball program on disciplinary probation through 2010.
And, as a result of the school's investigation, a mandatory hazing-awareness program will be created for every head coach in the school's athletic department.
The sanctions come nearly a month after hazing watchdog William Schut of ncaahazing.com alerted the media to photos from a 2006 "rookie party" that had been posted on the Internet.
The photos depicted members of the Maine softball team dressed in outlandish costumes while drinking alcohol and making lewd gestures and poses. Athletic department officials acknowledge there was underage drinking at the party.
As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that several members of the team, including some who have graduated, were found to be participants, said Dean of Students Robert Dana. Hazing is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and the Student Athlete Code of Conduct at UMaine.
"Once the investigation occurred, it was clear that younger students, new members of the team, were being subjected to expectations from older team members in terms of doing silly stunts, wearing outrageous clothing," said Dana. "That's the technical definition of hazing: If you subject somebody to physical harm, mental harm, intimidation, harassment. If there's an expectation upon a new member of a group to do something to gain acceptance, that's hazing. It was clear that had happened."
The photographs were posted on an Internet site called webshots.com by Maine softball player Courtney Gingrich, but since have been removed.
Gingrich, of Lititz, Pa., and Ashley Waters of Amesbury, Mass., both of whom were freshmen in 2006, were depicted in dozens of the photos wearing long, pastel dresses with makeup smeared on their faces.
Though the two appear to be the targets of hazing in the 2006 photos, both were penalized Wednesday.
Gingrich received the stiffest penalty: She was suspended for 10 games and will no longer be a co-captain of the softball team next year. Waters was suspended for two games and will forfeit her co-captaincy as well. Junior pitcher Jenna Balent of Conifer, Colo., was suspended for two games.
Gingrich apparently received a tougher penalty because of a previous infraction that increased her punishment based on a points system used by the university's athletic department.
Athletic Director Blake James said that if Gingrich and Waters had come forward early on, the situation might have unfolded differently.
"I wouldn't use the term 'victims,' " James said of the two players. "I think they were a part of hazing activities. They chose to be a part of those activities. Whether they were forced to or chose to do so under their own free will, they were knowingly involved and didn't come forward.
"As individuals they know the difference between right and wrong, and these individuals didn't make the right choices."
Dana and James both said they cannot discuss any details about why those three were singled out to be penalized. "I think the sanctions were appropriate to events that happened with this," Dana said.
In the course of the investigation, officials learned that similar parties occurred in 2004 and this past spring. Last year, Schut notified the athletic department of photos on the Internet from a softball team party in 2005, but UMaine officials did not see anything they deemed hazing.
Dana said both the students and Coach Stacey Sullivan were cooperative in this summer's investigation.
"I think (the students) were ashamed they had done these behaviors," said Dana....
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