Hazing investigation costing school

A former federal prosecutor used to taking on mobsters is now looking into the Maine West High School hazing scandal, and it doesn’t come cheap for the northwest suburban school district that hired him.

Maine Township High School District 207 enlisted Sergio Acosta in January to delve into accusations of sexual abuse among members of the boys soccer team after it voted to fire two coaches accused of sanctioning the so-called hazing.

In its first 35 days on the job, Acosta’s firm, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, charged the school district nearly $74,000 for about 352 hours of work and other expenses, according to records obtained by the Chicago SunTimes. Those bills have been paid in full after the school board approved them in April, district spokesman Dave Beery said.

The records reflect work done between Jan. 25 and Feb. 28. Beery said the inquiry is ongoing — bills could still roll in for work done in March and April — but he said the investigation could wrap up soon.

Once that happens the firm is expected to deliver a public report to the board, Beery said.

The claims being investigated have already prompted a lawsuit, misdemeanor charges for six teenagers and an ongoing review by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. A spokeswoman for that agency said its review is in the final stages.

It all happened after multiple soccer players came forward last fall to say they’d been sexually assaulted by teammates under the guise of hazing. They said their teammates pulled down their underwear and sodomized them with fingers and sticks.

Maine Township’s school board voted in December to fire varsity soccer coach Michael Divincenzo, who was not only accused of sanctioning the abuse but also of witnessing an assault in July and asking the victim if it “was all good” when it was over.

The board also voted to fire freshman soccer coach Emilio Rodriguez, who is still pursuing a hearing and has told police he didn’t know about the hazing.