Three players were kicked off the McMinnville High School boys soccer team after an alleged hazing incident on a bus ride back from a match in late August, according to the McMinnville School District.
Five more players were suspended from competition for three weeks, the district said in a statement.
The details of the alleged hazing have not been released, but the district said coaches alerted school leaders to the incident following a Thursday match prior to school starting for the year.
The boys played at West Salem High on Aug. 30. The district said the coaches and all 42 players riding the bus were interviewed by school leaders in the following days. The district then made their decision on punishment for eight players.
"I think that what happened was pretty awful," said a mother of one of the players. She did not want to be identified to protect her son's safety. "I believe that the actions taken have not been enough. I do think that the school administration needs to work on it a lot more than they currently are to prevent it from happening to any other kids."
The district’s finding was shared with McMinnville Police for possible criminal investigation.
A McMinnville police spokesman told KGW the department is investigating the incident. Because it's an active investigation involving juveniles, the spokesman said the department is unable to comment on it at this time.
The boys’ soccer practice on Sept. 4 and match against Lincoln High on Sept. 5 were canceled while school administrators investigated the allegations.