Hearing set in Tennessee high school basketball rape case

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — Three Tennessee high school basketball players are due in juvenile court to face charges that they raped a freshman teammate in an apparent hazing incident.

The Sevier County Juvenile Court clerk’s office confirmed a hearing for the Ooltewah High School players was scheduled for Tuesday. Because it’s a juvenile case, the hearing is closed to the media and the public.

The three defendants face aggravated rape charges. Gatlinburg police say the three Ooltewah players assaulted a freshman Dec. 22 while the team was participating in a holiday tournament.

Police say the boy required emergency surgery after older teammates held him down and assaulted him with a pool cue.

A judge rejected prosecutors’ attempts in March to have one defendant transferred to adult court. TVJ