Lehman HS baseball team to finish season amid investigation in alleged 'serious bullying': district

HAYS COUNTY, Texas - The Lehman High School baseball team will be allowed to finish their season amid an investigation into allegations of "serious bullying" by some members of the team.

Hays CISD announced the decision on Friday after campus and district leadership met with parents of team members.

PREVIOUS REPORTING: 10 Hays CISD students, 1 staff member suspended following reports of bullying at high school

What they're saying:

Hays CISD had initially said that Lehman would be forfeiting the remaining games of the 2026 season for both the varsity and junior varsity teams.

This initial decision was in part because of concern there might not be enough players who were not implicated in the ongoing investigation to make teams.

"The parents were understandably very upset. After further consideration of the parents’ case, the district has determined that they are correct and that the Lehman baseball season should continue with players who are not implicated," said the district in a statement.

"We want parents to know that we hear them and agree that students not implicated in any potential wrongdoing should not be penalized when we can help it. Because we have identified enough players not implicated to keep the baseball teams in business, we are glad to be able to do it," said Hays CISD Chief Communication Officer Tim Savoy in the statement. "As the investigation unfolded yesterday (Thursday), we were making decisions based on the best information we had at the time; but we’re not immovable, especially when parents present us with more to consider."

"Nothing should diminish the seriousness of the behavior and allegations associated with the bullying investigation. It’s horrible and those responsible will pay a significant price," said Savoy. "However, we must also recognize that the actions of some students, even if it’s a larger-than-normal group, shouldn’t define all students. Lehman High School is an amazing campus and a point-of-pride for the district, as are the many good student athletes who work to bring honor to themselves, their school, and the community."

Dig deeper:

The district says that a key factor in the investigation is a video of an incident at the school, which "shows clear violations of expected student behavior and possibly violations of the law."

Ten students were suspended, and one staff member was placed on administrative leave in connection with the investigation.

According to Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright, there has been an ongoing investigation into "a potentially serious pattern of bullying." This involves some varsity and junior varsity members of the Lehman High School baseball program. 

Parents first brought their concerns to campus administration and the school resource officer on Tuesday, April 7. 

The investigation is being headed by the Hays County Sheriff's Office.

What's next:

Friday's scheduled games have already been cancelled and will stay cancelled, says Hays CISD.

The remaining four games over the next couple of weeks will be played as scheduled with at least a varsity team, and likely a junior varsity team if there are enough players.