BANGOR Maine
The University of Maine
is investigating online photos taken last year showing members of the Maine
softball team apparently drinking alcohol and making lewd gestures while
dressed in outrageous costumes.
Athletic Director Black James characterized the photos as a
“potential hazing-type situation.” The online photo album is labeled
on a Web site as a “rookie party” and shows then-freshmen players
participating in some of the photos with seniors looking on.
“We’ll be investigating what is going on in the photos
and meeting with those involved to really determine what happened and why the
situation occurred,” James said.
The photos came to light after the Bangor Daily News was
provided an Internet link to photos that appear on the Web site http://www.ncaahazing.com,
which is not affiliated with the NCAA.
The newspaper reported that the photos, which were uploaded
in March 2006, show team members apparently drinking alcohol, engaged in
cupcake fights, dancing, mugging for the camera and making lewd gestures.
James said he is particularly concerned because other photos
from a similar party were posted in 2005 to the same Web site, which tracks
hazing incidents at universities and colleges nationwide.
