In a recent development, a former wrestler from Starpoint Central High School has filed a lawsuit against two fellow teammates, Landon Grainy and James Leuer Jr., along with former assistant coach Brian Laplante, and the Starpoint Central School District. The lawsuit alleges that Grainy and Leuer negligently and recklessly engaged in inappropriate touching on two separate occasions.

The incidents took place during a practice at the school and a private practice facility owned by Laplante, just days before the state Dual Meet Championships in Syracuse, where Starpoint claimed the Division 1 title. The lawsuit does not provide detailed information about the alleged inappropriate touching.

To protect the confidentiality of the former wrestler who filed the lawsuit, The Buffalo News has refrained from identifying him, as he may be a sex crime victim. The lawsuit claims that the plaintiff has suffered emotional, mental, and psychological injuries resulting from the incidents. It further asserts that the lack of appropriate policies by Starpoint and inadequate supervision allowed for such an incident to occur.

Attorney Kevin Burke, representing Grainy and Leuer, vehemently denies the claims of sexual harassment made against his clients. He asserts that the incidents were simply team-building activities and not acts of sexual assault or harassment. Burke believes that the situation has been misconstrued as sexual assault, but instead, it is a generic bullying allegation.

In a petition filed earlier by Laplante's wife and parents of other wrestlers in February 2023 against the cancellation of the wrestling season, the incidents were described as "dogpiling." The petition claimed that several team members had piled on top of the plaintiff during a practice at Starpoint High School, removing his shoes and throwing them on top of a scoreboard. The coaches intervened and practice proceeded. The second incident allegedly occurred the following day at Laplante's practice facility when the plaintiff was piled on again. He subsequently texted his mother to pick him up and left the facility.

Grainy and Leuer were removed from school for the remainder of the year after the allegations surfaced, and in March 2023, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office charged both students with second-degree harassment, which resulted in dismissal. A Title IX investigation conducted by the school district later substantiated the sexual harassment allegations.

Burke contests that neither the sheriff's office nor the Title IX investigations have proven the sexual harassment claims against Grainy and Leuer. He argues that the allegations emerged only after the plaintiff was not selected by the coaches to compete in the Section VI Individual Championship, suggesting it to be a "sour grapes claim."

The lawsuit filed by the Starpoint graduate who initiated the legal action, as well as his attorney Matthew Mosher, has not provided any comments to The Buffalo News. Laplante has also been unavailable for comment.

Throughout the ordeal, multiple legal actions have been filed concerning the allegations and the early termination of the team's 2022-2023 season. A petition submitted by parents of the wrestlers claimed that the school district's response was excessive and unjust, punishing innocent boys who had no involvement in the allegations. The wrestlers were ultimately disqualified from participating in the state championships due to a State Supreme Court's decision not to rule on the matter before the championship.

In April 2024, Grainy and Leuer filed their own lawsuit against Starpoint in U.S. District Court, claiming that they were unlawfully removed from school without due process. They allege that they were dismissed from school on an emergency basis without any formal hearing, disciplinary process, or chance to return.

As a result of these events, the Starpoint School Board decided not to reappoint the wrestling coaches for the 2023-24 season, opting to hire new coaches. Superintendent Sean M. Croft declined to comment on the ongoing litigation but emphasized that the safety of the school community remains their top priority.

The outcome of the lawsuit and the lingering controversy within Starpoint Central High School wrestling program remains to be seen as legal proceedings progress.