The Wilson boys’ water polo program is under investigation for a violent hazing incident that occurred in a San Jose hotel room during a tournament trip last weekend, according to an email sent to parents in the program by coach Zac Polmanteer, as first reported by the Long Beach Post.
According to Polmanteer’s email, “multiple student athletes were subjected to humiliating and physically harmful acts. Some athletes sustained injuries from being physically struck by their teammates.” The Post reports that he did not disclose the extent of the injuries or specific actions.
The Post referenced disciplinary action mentioned in Polmanteer’s email, stating that the school conducted individual interviews with each player during practice hours on Monday to gather their stories before devising consequences. As mentioned in the email, those consequences include suspension from school and water polo for players involved.
A Long Beach Unified School District spokesperson provided a statement to The562, stating that the District is currently investigating the incident.
“Hazing is not allowed and has no place in our schools or athletic programs,” the spokesperson stated. “Wilson High School continues to reinforce expectations for student safety and respectful conduct. Because this is an ongoing investigation and the details involve confidential student and employee information, the District is limited in what it can share about the individuals involved and any specific actions taken at this time.”
The Bruins were then seen shorthanded on Thursday in a win over Long Beach Poly that clinched Wilson’s 19th consecutive Moore League title. Among others, Wilson was without nearly its entire senior class, which had previously made up the team’s starting roster this season. While the exact reason for the absences has not been confirmed, 13 players were missing from Thursday’s roster compared to the roster from Wilson’s matchup against Millikan earlier this season.
When asked about the absences on Tuesday in a postgame interview with The562, Polmanteer referenced a “situation that occurred at school,” mentioning that he didn’t want to discuss it further. Polmanteer declined to comment when asked a follow-up question about whether those players would return this season.
Since the reports surfaced, Wilson canceled its most recent scheduled matchup against Loyola on Wednesday night. “Due to issues within the Long Beach Wilson program, tonight’s Senior Night game originally scheduled for 6:00PM at LMU has been cancelled,” wrote the Loyola boys’ water polo team on X.
Wilson has its Moore League finale scheduled for Tuesday against Lakewood. There has been no signal in either direction of whether the team will play or what the near future will look like for the Bruins. Wilson was recently ranked as the No. 4 team in the CIF Southern Section, which would place them as a top team in the Open Division playoff bracket.
This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is reported.
