The William Penn School District will reinstate some of Penn Wood High School’s fall sports teams as their investigation into alleged misconduct continues.
On Thursday, Oct. 15, the William Penn School District released a statement saying they were suspending all of their sporting programs while investigating an alleged incident that “implicates culture and climate in athletics.”
While officials did not specify the incident or what led to the suspension, parents, students and a staff member at Penn Wood High School told NBC10 it involved an alleged hazing incident from one of their sports teams.
The district said they partnered with Grand River Solutions (GRS) to investigate any alleged misconduct. The district will also review athletic operations and use feedback from students and coaches to identify areas for improvement.
The suspension prompted a walkout on Friday, Oct. 16, in which students protested the decision to pause all of their sporting programs. The protesters argued that while they wanted to support any potential victims and hold anyone allegedly involved in hazing responsible, it wasn’t fair to punish sporting programs and student-athletes who weren’t involved in any misconduct.
School district officials said they administered a climate and culture survey to all of the student-athletes involved in fall sports over the weekend and on Monday. They then announced Monday afternoon that after reviewing the survey feedback, the district will reinstate the following fall high school teams: cheer, boys’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ cross country, volleyball, and girls’ tennis (although their season is over).
Officials also said a survey for fall sports coaches is underway. Each coach will be asked to review school district policies and provide proof of engagement with the process, officials said.
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