District 207 Spends $73,787 on Hazing Attorney: Report

Maine Township High School District 207 has paid more than $73,000 to a Chicago law firm to look into sexual abuse allegations regarding the Maine West High School hazing scandal, the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate reports.

The district hired Sergio Acosta’s law firm, Hinshaw & Culbertson early in 2013. For one month of work, adding up to 352 hours among other expenses, the district was billed $73,787. More expenses could be forthcoming for work conducted after March 1, the newspaper reports.

The firm was hired to look into allegations that multiple soccer players on the boys’ soccer team were sexually assaulted by teammates as an act of hazing. Several teachers and administrators have been charged with being the responsible adults in charge when the hazing took place in Sept. 2012. Soccer coach Michael Divencenzo has since left the district in exchange for the district providing him an attorney to represent him court regarding the hazing allegations.