4-H counselors charged in staging camper fights

ROCKY MOUNT, Va. - Three teenage counselors at a 4-H camp were charged Thursday with child abuse, disorderly conduct and assault for allegedly forcing young campers into bare-knuckle fights, then charging admission and allowing betting.

Two 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old were charged in juvenile court with 24 felony and 34 misdemeanor counts. The counselors, whose names were not released because of their ages, worked at the camp near Smith Mountain Lake from June 30 to July 4.

Franklin County prosecutor Cliff Hapgood said the counselors helped organize fights inside a camp dormitory that involved eight boys ages 10-12.

Sheriff Quint Overton said other campers were charged $1 admission, and the counselors and children bet up to $4 a fight.

Several campers had black eyes and one had broken his hand as a result of the fights, Overton said.

"There was just a lack of supervision," he said of the camp. "You can't have juveniles supervising juveniles."

In all, 300 campers ages 9 to 13 were supervised by 22 adult volunteers and extension staff, 50 teen counselor volunteers and permanent summer camp staff.

Hapgood would not comment on whether any of the adult staff had witnessed the fights. He said investigators are still looking into the role two adult counselors may have had in the brawls.

The counselors have been suspended by 4-H.

Authorities learned about the fights when a camper's father called to complain about his son returning home with a black eye.

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