Westhill lacrosse coach makes a statement on hazing incident

The school has canceled the remainder of the lacrosse season after 11 student athletes accused hazing incident turn in themselves

Westhill (New York) lacrosse coach Aaron Cahill apologized to the victims of last week's hazing incident involving his team, which he said does not reflect the values of his program, in a social media post about the incident. / Aaron Cahill LinkedIn

After being given a 48 hour window to turn themselves in by Bill Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County District Attorney, the alleged suspects in the Westhill High School lacrosse hazing incident have complied. According multiple news reports, the students are suspected of hazing younger teammates.

Fitzpatrick, who called the incident "hazing on steroids," during a news conference on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the athletes he was seeking.

“You have 48 hours to turn yourself into the sheriff’s department and the following will happen: You will be given an appearance ticket with a crime of unlawful imprisonment, a class A misdemeanor. You will not be spending time in the public safety building, you will not have bail set, you will be released to the custody of your parents,” Fitzpatrick said according to NBC News.

Westhill head lacrosse coach Aaron Cahill, who is in his first year with the team, made his first public statement on the matter, on Wednesday, via a lenghty post on LinkedIn.

He apologized to the victims and stated the actions related to this matter do not reflect the values of his program which he states is "built on inclusion, kindness, and accountability."

He went on to say that he and his coaching staff had no prior knowledge of the hazing incidents and they have cooperated fully with the ongoing investigation.

"As a first-year head coach, I’ve poured everything I have into this team—working to lead with integrity, foster a strong team culture, and support our athletes not just as players, but as young people navigating a complex world," added Cahill. "Mental health, education, and family have been cornerstones of my approach—and they always will be."