Some 57 charges of child abuse and assault reportedly will be filed against the drunken hockey fans who subjected 57 American Indian students to racially-charged taunts the included spraying the students with beer and lacing them with racial slurs, according to unnamed sources. ......... THE STUDENTS, WHO ATTEND THE AMERICAN HORSE SCHOOL IN THE HAMLET OF ALLEN ON THE PINE RIDGE INDIAN RESERVATION, SUFFERED THROUGH AN ONSLAUGHT OF BEER BEING SPRAYED ON THEM AS THEY WERE TOLD BY THE PERPETRATORS TO “GO BACK TO THE RESERVATION.”

Eagle Sales of the Black Hills, a beer distributorship, rents a skybox from which the alleged harassment came. President Tom Helland has said guests in the company's suite exhibited poor behavior, and he has apologized to the students.

Because of the racially-charge assault, the chaperones removed the youth from the game before its conclusion. The American Horse School is a K-8th grade school on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

“We’re going to be looking at assault. We’re going to look at the hate crimes statutes. We will look at the child abuse statutes. And, we will look at any other relevant statutes,” Jegeris said. He did not reveal the name of the person identified.

You really do have to wonder just what in the hell is wrong with some people: The trip was a reward for students who'd achieved academic and classroom behavior goals this year. The offender has not been named, but police say they know who he is: Totally outrageous. Most of the children were elementary students and were whisked away:Rapid City Police Chief Karl Jegeris said the investigation revealed a crime and charges appear to be forthcoming. See an emotional interview with parents below the fold.