The two soccer players who duct-taped a teenager with autism to a goalpost in October and left him there, apologized to him between classes late last week.

Phil DiLucente, the lawyer representing Austin Babinsack, 16, and his family, said the two boys apologized to Austin and also wrote him letters.

Austin was very excited to receive the apologies and called his mother from school Friday to tell her the news, DiLucente said.

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“(He) said ‘I am very happy and am glad to put this behind me and things can get back to normal,'” DiLucente said.

The Babinsack family declined to comment through DiLucente.

The apologies came after DiLucente wrote a letter to the Harrison, Pa. police chief last Wednesday, saying if an apology was not received by the end of this week, then the family would press charges.

No charges have been filed, according to Harrison police. Instead the boys will participate in autism awareness classes; Austin’s family would also like to see an all-encompassing autism awareness program at the high school.

“That’s the last missing piece of the puzzle,” Mr. DiLucente said. “We’re a tad anxious and we’d like things to transpire in the very near future. Actions speak louder than words.”

The boys who duct-taped Austin, both 17, were suspended from school and also faced in-school suspension, and soccer coach Jim Turner, who is said not to have been present at the time of the incident, was also suspended.

An email to the acting superintendent of the Highlands School District, Michael Bjalobok, requesting comment Friday was not returned.

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