KY grand jury declines to indict in high school football camp case. What’s next?
Thursday, a Kentucky grand jury declined to issue an indictment after hearing testimony about “alleged acts,” likely hazing, involving members of a high school football team.
“The Grand Jury considered testimony of Kentucky State Police Detective Zach Scott regarding his investigation of alleged acts that occurred on August 1-2, 2025, in Casey County, Kentucky, involving members of a high school football team,” Casey County commonwealth’s attorney Brian Wright told the Herald-Leader Friday in an email.
“Based on the testimony considered, the votes of the Grand Jury were insufficient to return any indictment, and the Grand Jury reported NO TRUE BILL regarding this matter,” Wright confirmed.
In late August, Kentucky State Police opened a sodomy investigation and seized brooms in response to hazing allegations involving McCreary County Central football players at an August athletic camp in Casey County, a KSP record shows.
While Wright would not confirm this was the case the grand jury considered Thursday, the dates he provided match the details of the sodomy and hazing investigation.
The football camp occurred Aug. 1 and 2 in Casey County along Kentucky Highway 70, according to the KSP record. After receiving a complaint, state police launched an investigation into alleged hazing involving high schoolers playing for McCreary County Central High School, and opened a first-degree sodomy case Aug. 29.
A notation in the record on the same day says KSP “seized brooms.”
In November, a student who claimed they were sexually assaulted at a football camp this summer filed a lawsuit against the McCreary County School District, its superintendent and the high school football coach.
The suit, filed Nov. 19 in federal court, accuses Superintendent Clint Taylor, football coach Sam Marple and the district of negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, assault, defamation and Title IX violations. The alleged incident happened in early August at Camp Wakon’ Da-Ho, off KY 70 in Casey County. The student is not named.
Wright said Friday the Casey County grand jury action meant that his office would not be filing criminal charges in the “alleged actions.”
A grand jury document in the case provided Monday did not provide any additional information.
Sodomy-hazing incidents involving high school football teams have resulted in lawsuits and criminal cases across the country in recent years, the Herald-Leader has reported.
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 2:22 PM.