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RYE, N.Y. Felony assault charges were dropped Tuesday against three Rye High School seniors accused of hazing eighth-graders over the summer. All records of the case are now sealed.
In anticipation of a plea negotiation, the original felony charges against the defendants Max Meyerson, 16; Sean Pinson, 17; and Tristan Scragg, 17 - were scaled down to misdemeanor charges, which required the proceedings to be sealed. The three teens had also been charged with two misdemeanors hazing and unlawful imprisonment.
Following private discussions shortly after noon on Tuesday, the three teens filed out of Rye City Court separately alongside parents and attorneys, who were all closed-lipped on the details of the case, including any outcome. The court clerks office confirmed that all matters regarding the case have been sealed, and no other information is available at this time.
According to a statement made by Westchester Public Safety Commissioner George Longworth in June, the students, now seniors, were accused of forcing several incoming freshman students into a car in front of the Rye Free Reading Room on June 1. They drove to the Marshlands Conservancy in Rye and are accused of paddling two of the younger students with a large piece of wood. The paddling caused bruising and other injuries to the students' buttocks and legs, and one was treated at a hospital for his injuries, Longworth said.
The Westchester County Police and the Rye Police Department investigated the incident. The case was adjourned three times prior to meeting, on July 21, Sept. 11 and Oct. 9, at the request of the defense.
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