Even if I report a video of the hockey stick assault… “Coach and Situational Drama” Believe in Schools and Police

At a high school in Seoul, the coach of the ice hockey team assaulted the students for more than a year, but the school and the police were found to have not responded much even after being reported. School officials who responded poorly to the assault case were only being dismissed with cotton bats from the Office of Education.

On the 16th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced the results of a special audit for the suspicion of assaulting students in the ice hockey team at A High School in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. When the incident was announced through media reports, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education commissioned 7 auditors for 6 days from the 16th of last month to conduct the audit.

As a result of the audit, it was confirmed that the ice hockey team coach B hit the hips and heads of two student players with a hockey stick in a changing room at an ice rink in Gangneung City in January 2019. In November of the same year, a student player was assaulted with a hockey stick at Korea University’s ice rink. He was beaten and swearing and threatened to “can’t go to college,” and there were also eyewitness statements that he slapped him on the cheek.

Mr. B is also charged with receiving a total of 60.5 million won from the parents of the student athletes for two years from 2019. It is known that Mr. B asked for money, saying that he would be selected as the representative of the youth competition. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education identified the charges based on the recordings and statements made by Mr. B and his parents.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education advised A high school to fire Mr. B and filed a complaint with the police on charges of frequent assault and receipt of money. Nine parents, who were in the context of giving money to Mr. B, also accused him of violating the “prohibition of receiving fraudulent solicitations and gifts.

The suspicion of Mr. B’s assault has been raised since the beginning of last year, but neither the investigative agency, the school, nor the Education Support Office could grasp it.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, in February of last year, an anonymous informant sent a portable storage device (USB) containing an assault video to High School A. High School A reported school violence to the Songpa Police Station and the Gangdong Songpa Education Support Office. However, about a month after receipt, the Songpa Police Station dismissed it as’no prosecution opinion’. It means that we haven’t found any criminal charges. The Gangdong Songpa Support Office did not find any charges as well. In an investigation by the police and the Office of Education, some students believed without doubt the statement that “it was not an assault, but a situational play with a coach to alert juniors.”

A high school’s investigation was made foolishly. According to the results of the audit, the day after the report was received, High School A gathered the student players in one space and asked if they were damaged. The investigation was conducted in an environment where the identity of the student could not be protected.

High School A closed the case without even opening the Autonomous Committee for Countermeasures against School Violence after 5 days of the report. The Education Support Office, which received a re-investigation complaint, asked High School A to discuss the discipline of Mr. B, but the discipline was not carried out.

Despite the poor investigation of the police and the poor response of High School A, the damage to student athletes continued for more than a year, but school officials were subject to light disciplinary action. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education imposed a disciplinary punishment on the principal and vice-principal of High School A. Six people, including the teacher in charge of the sports department, were warned and cautioned.

An official from the inspector’s office of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said, “We also held accountability for high school officials who did not respond properly even after receiving the report.”

Reporter Nam Gung-min [email protected]