Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of alleged sexual assault and hazing that may be disturbing to some readers.
A family is suing Ursuline High School, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and several school officials, accusing them of failing to stop hazing and sexual assaults on the football team and then retaliating when the family reported the abuse.
The federal complaint, filed Sept. 2 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, identifies the plaintiffs as “Mother,” “Son King” and “Daughter King.” Both children previously attended Ursuline but have since transferred to other schools.
The lawsuit names Ursuline High School, Principal Matthew Sammartino, Assistant Principal Margaret Damore, Head Coach Daniel Reardon, assistant coaches Timothy McGlynn and Christian Syrianoudis, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and multiple student players and their parents as defendants.
According to the 200-page filing, the alleged abuse began the first night of a June 2025 football trip. The complaint states that two players entered the boy’s hotel room, grabbed him by the throat, threw him on the bed, and tried to strip him. One player, who was visibly aroused, allegedly ground against him while another teammate recorded the attack and posted the video to the team’s group Snapchat.
The next day, the boy was mocked in front of coaches, with teammates warning he would “get his butt took” again — a phrase the lawsuit describes as meaning he would be stripped naked and assaulted. Attorneys for the family argue that the recording and distribution of the video amounted to the production of child pornography.
When the boy’s mother confronted coaches, the complaint says assistant coach McGlynn minimized the abuse, telling her “It’s just boys being boys.” The filing claims he later told her she was “crazy” for planning to confront players and warned that school leaders would “just tell her to go back to where she’s from.” Plaintiffs argue those remarks show the school’s disregard for the attacks.
The complaint asserts violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, along with federal civil rights laws and Ohio statutes on intimidation of victims and witnesses.
The family is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees and a court order barring further retaliation. They have requested a jury trial.
The Chandra Law Firm of Cleveland is representing the plaintiffs.
As of Wednesday, Ursuline High School and the Diocese of Youngstown had not filed responses to the lawsuit.
