Coach fired, players suspended in Franklin and Marshall women's lacrosse hazing

A hazing incident among members of the Franklin and Marshall College women's lacrosse program has cost head coach Lauren Paul her job and caused a number of players to be suspended.

Field hockey coach Melissa Mariano, who is also the athletics department's senior women's administrator, will serve as the interim coach, and a permanent head coach will be selected after the conclusion of the season, Kent Trachte, the dean of the college, said in an e-mail sent from the school.

The team, a perennial NCAA Division III power, will continue its season. It was 12-2 before playing Gettysburg Wednesday.

In an e-mail to The Inquirer, Cass Cliatt, F&M's vice president for communications, said the students who were involved in the hazing continued to be enrolled in the school and have been suspended from the team.

Cliatt said that because of the federal Family and Educational Rights and Policy Act, "the school is not able to disclose details such as those relating to the number of players, particulars of the hazing event or any details that might have the effect of identifying individual students."

The roster has been updated on the school's website to include 16 names, 11 fewer than appeared previously.

Cliatt stated that the school has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of hazing.

This is what Cliatt was able to say about the incident: "I can say that our investigation found direct involvement by a group of upperclass women's lacrosse players related to an unsanctioned student-organized event that took place last academic spring."

Just two players with area ties remain on the roster: freshman Megan Kelly, of Bethlehem, who attended the Hill School in Pottstown, and Ali Kelly, a sophomore from Wayne and Radnor High School.

Lancaster Police Lt. Todd Umstead said there was no criminal investigation into the matter.