Colorado high school football coach fired, cited in connection to ongoing hazing investigation

A head coach of a Colorado football program was fired and is now facing legal consequences in connection to an ongoing investigation into alleged hazing. The investigation began after school officials received a tip alleging assault among members of the team.

Lance Vieira, the now-former head football coach of Littleton High School, was given a ticket on Tuesday for reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor charge. Littleton Public Schools confirmed this in a letter to the LPS community.

According to the school district update, "this citation was issued as a result of the investigation, but is not related to the original assault allegation."

In the update, LPS and LHS said the Littleton Police Department was investigating the original tip about an assault within the football program as "alleged hazing." The update in this investigation was first shared by LHS Principal Thomas Velazquez and then in an update by LPS Superintendent Todd Lambert in August.

Although LPS says the new misdemeanor ticket issued to Vieira is not related to the assault allegation, he was the first person named since the school district notified the LPS community about this investigation.

Vieira has not been arrested by Littleton Police Department since the ticket is a misdemeanor charge, but he will be required to appear in Littleton Municipal Court on a date that was not yet scheduled on Tuesday.

Team practice, team dinner and a team scrimmage were canceled when CBS News Colorado first reported about the alleged assault among members of the football team. CBS Colorado has reached out to the school district to confirm whether LHS football will participate this season.

There has been no information shared about the nature of the hazing or assault allegations since LPS first acknowledged the open police investigation.