Montgomery County school leaders update parents on Damascus High School investigation

In a letter sent to Damascus High School parents Sunday afternoon, Montgomery County Public Schools leadership says the state's attorney's office has subpoenaed student records related to assaultive behavior, bullying or hazing for all students who've participated in Damascus athletics programs since 2013.

The school district says they are complying with the subpoena and the records may be used as part of a court proceeding. A more specific letter will be sent to parents of affected students soon.

The school district also says they're going to be expanding their own investigation, which will now include reporting practices and supervision throughout all activities at Damascus, not just athletics. They expect it to be completed in the coming weeks.

"Certainly our hearts and thoughts are with all of the students at Damascus and the students who reported the victimization, and that's an issue that we take very seriously," said MCPS superintendent Dr. Jack Smith.

There is still a lot of concern within the Damascus community.

FOX 5's Josh Rosenthal has spoken with several parents about the case and while they absolutely want authorities to get to the bottom of what happened that day, the concerns don't stop there.

Parents say they're worried about the leadership at the school. They're worried about the football program in general, and they're worried about accountability - not just in Damascus, but throughout the entire county. They do not believe that this is just an isolated Damascus issue.

The state's attorney's office confirmed that they have seen MCPS' letter but said they can't comment on it. MCPS says they don't have anything to add either, beyond the letter.