PC West football player charged

A Putnam City West High School football player was charged Friday with a felony, accused of participating in a hazing ritual known as “brooming.”

Dawson Michael McLain, 19, of Bethany, is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Oklahoma County prosecutors allege McLain and three juvenile players restrained a 14-year-old player and penetrated the victim with a broomstick.

The assault occurred Sept. 28 inside the school's varsity football locker room, police reported. McLain was 18 at the time. The younger students will be prosecuted in juvenile court, where records are not public.

The four players told police the “brooming” incident was a tradition passed down from class to class. The victim was clothed during the assault, Putnam City Campus Police reported.

"Upperclassmen will use a broomstick to haze underclassmen," according to a police report. "Normally the hazing involves students chasing each other around with the broomstick."

McLain and two other players held the victim while a fourth player "shoved the broomstick up his rear end," police reported.

Football coach Corey Russell was placed on paid administrative leave after the assault. The coach has denied knowing about the “brooming” tradition or any type of hazing.

On Friday, Putnam City Schools spokesman Steve Lindley said the football coach was still on leave.

The spokesman also said the “behavior of students involved in the assault has been addressed by the school.”

At the time of the assault, the juvenile players were 15, 16 and 17, the spokesman said.