Tamaqua School officials stand by their handling of alleged assaults among members of the football team last fall, and maintain that they were not sexual in nature.

On Tuesday, School board President Larry Wittig and Vice President Nick Boyle commented on a federal lawsuit filed by two fathers who say their sons were sexually assaulted by other members of the football team.

“I want to know why the DA’s office hasn’t prosecuted anyone for sexual assault if that was the case,” Boyle said. The students both said they were physically assaulted in separate incidents in a house used by the football team, located across the street from the school. Both incidents occurred Nov. 4. One player told police that a player “forcefully pushed a banana against his clothed anus,” and the other said in the lawsuit that he believed players were attempting to do something similar before they were interrupted.

Wittig said he wouldn’t comment on the allegations in the lawsuit, but defended the district’s actions following the alleged assault. He said the district took immediate steps to investigate the incident, and suspend and expel those responsible.

“I feel comfortable, me personally, that we did everything necessary to protect students, to act judiciously, expeditiously that day the incident occurred,” Wittig said.

The lawsuit alleges that the district violated one victim’s Title IX rights by prohibiting him from taking part in disciplinary hearings against the alleged perpetrators. It says that Superintendent Ray Kinder Jr. told a victim’s father that he thought his son was lying and there was no evidence of a banana being present during the attack.

Boyle wouldn’t comment directly on the allegations, but said the hearings resulted in expulsion whether the victim testified or not.

“The most a school can do is expel a student, and that is what occurred,” Boyle said.

The parents claim in the suit that the district protected the students responsible for the attacks, and made public statements to minimize the sexual nature. In a meeting on Nov. 9, Wittig said that the assault was a “hazing incident for lack of a better term.”

Wittig said that he stood by the comments he made following the incident.

The suit also said the district’s handling made school a hostile place for one of the victims. One of the alleged attackers was allowed to stay in classes with the victim as the school conducted its investigation. The victim withdrew from the school district in January.

Three students were expelled following the incident. An 18-year-old player, Zachary McGlinchey, was recently charged with simple assault and harassment, and two juveniles also face summary harassment charges.

Wittig said he had not seen the details of the charges.