BIXBY, Okla. - The Rogers County district attorney released a statement Thursday, suggesting there could be more individuals held responsible for a reported rape involving Bixby High School football players.
The affidavit attached to the four arrest warrants names not just of the students charged with rape by instrumentation, but of the adults who knew about it.
An attorney said this would be a crime if the adults didn't report it to the appropriate people.
RELATED: Rape charges filed against Bixby football players in sex assault case
“Someone who had knowledge of this event, especially the educators anybody who was involved in the education field, would have known to report these matters to the Department of Human Services," said Tulsa attorney Adam Weintraub.
The affidavit doesn't say that's what happened.
It said Bixby Public Schools Athletic Director Jay Bittle was the first to interview a 16-year-old victim about what he said happened to him in September of last year at then Superintendent Dr. Kyle Wood's home.
“If you know a felony has been committed your failure to report it could be, it’s called Misprision of a Felony.”
The student told Bittle he was penetrated with a pool stick during a Bixby football gathering.
The victim even identified some of the students involved as William Thomas and Samuel Lakin.
In November both Bittle and Bixby High Principal Terry Adams told a Bixby detective they reported the incident to school officials, not the Department of Human Services.
“Their failure to do so is a misdemeanor and that could well be what the district attorney is talking about.”
According to the affidavit it wasn't until right after police were informed, and months after school officials knew of the reported incident, that Bixby Police requested the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation get involved.
“But I think the district attorney is saying he’s not done with this," Weintraub said.
The DA's full comment reads as follows:
"Aside from the charges filed today in YO-2018-11 there is an ongoing investigation into possible actions by several adults related to the potential crimes."
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