Wheaton College Football Player Pleads In Hazing Case
CHICAGO (CBS) -- One of five Wheaton College football players accused in a hazing scandal was pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor batter charge on Thursday.
Five players were accused of abducting a teammate from his dorm room, restraining him with duct tape, putting a pillowcase over his head, attempting to sodomize him with an object, and dumping him half-naked in a baseball field in March 2016.
The alleged victim, 21-year-old Charles Nagy, said he suffered injuries that prevented him from playing football again. He has since left the school.
Last September, five of Nagy's former teammates were charged with felony aggravated battery, mob action, and unlawful restraint. All five players pleaded not guilty last fall, but on Thursday, 21-year-old Noah Spielman accepted a plea deal from prosecutors.
Spielman is the son of former NFL linebacker Chris Spielman. It was unclear what charges he will plead guilty to at Thursday's hearing.
Last year, Spielman's attorney said his client was "frustrated and disappointed" by the felony charges. He said the school and NCAA already punished the five players for the incident.
Last week, the victim filed a civil lawsuit against seven former teammates, the coaching staff, and the administration, accusing the school of turning a blind eye to hazing, and implementing a sham policy it never enforced.
Spielman was not one of the seven teammates named in the lawsuit. The victim's attorney said his client has been engaged in settlement talks with Spielman.
Following his plea, Judge Brian Telander sentenced Spielman to one year of Conditional Discharge
