Prince William schools investigating alleged assault in Patriot High School locker room

The Prince William County public school system is investigating an alleged assault in a locker room at Patriot High School in Nokesville.

School spokeswoman Diana Gulotta told InsideNoVa on Thursday that the school district is aware of a video circulating on social media that "captures an incident of an alleged assault in the locker room at Patriot High School."

Gulotta said the school district believes "this incident occurred during an athletic practice." She did not have an estimate of when the incident occurred.

InsideNoVa was sent a video of the alleged incident, which appears to show two student-athletes hazing a third on a bench in a locker room, but is not publishing the video to protect the students involved. 

"The behavior displayed in the video is unacceptable and does not reflect the values and standards of our school community," Gulotta said.

She added that the school system immediately launched a thorough investigation  – one that includes working with law enforcement – upon learning of the incident.

The school system is "working closely with all parties involved, including students, parents, and staff, to address the situation appropriately,” Gulotta said. “Disciplinary actions will be taken as appropriate in accordance with our school’s code of conduct.”

She added, "We have also emailed a letter to students, staff, and parents/guardians at Patriot High School … We are committed to fostering a respectful and supportive environment. We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of our community as we navigate this challenging situation.”

Gulotta said the school system “will continue to provide updates as necessary.”

Patriot High School is at 10504 Kettle Run Road, Nokesville.