By Greg Grisolano
Globe Staff Writer
SENECA, Mo. —
The head coach and at least some members of the Seneca High School football coaching staff have been placed on probation after a school district investigation into a hazing incident last month.
The Seneca Board of Education announced the probation via a press release issued Wednesday afternoon. The board has been investigating whether the coaches “failed in their supervisory duties” while chaperoning as many as 50 Seneca football players who participated in a football camp last month at Pittsburg (Kan.) State University.
At least one parent reacted with disappointment upon hearing that the board’s action stopped at probation. The mother of one of the boys who were injured in the hazing said she was “shocked,” terming probation a “slap on the hand.”
Upperclassmen on the team are accused of injuring some of the underclassmen players as part of a hazing incident June 10 in a dorm at PSU.
The school board was behind closed doors for several hours Tuesday night during a special meeting at the district’s administration office.
“There was no evidence that any Seneca coach had any advanced knowledge of the hazing, was aware of the hazing when it occurred, nor attempted in any way to cover up the players’ misconduct,” the statement reads. “However, based on a number of considerations, including on-site supervision, the Board of Education voted unanimously to place the head coach and the assistant coaches who were present at PSU on probation for a period of one year.”
The statement goes on to say that “any violation of supervisory duties or violation of board policy or practices will result in disciplinary action.”
Board President Joe Caputo declined to comment Wednesday beyond the board’s statement. He declined to release the names of the assistant coaches or the number of assistant coaches who went to the camp, saying it was a personnel matter.
Another portion of the board statement directs Seneca administrators and legal counsel to develop “procedures, implement coaches’ code of conduct, and detailed supervision plan for all activities.”
Caputo declined to comment when asked if the inference could be drawn that the school district had no such policies in place before last month’s incident.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” he said. “All of our policies and procedures that are in place are available on our website.”
The board statement says more information on the policies would be available once they have been completed.
Parent’s reaction
The mother of a freshman football player who was injured during the hazing said head football coach Robert Townsend called her and several other parents on Wednesday to let them know that he and his staff were retained.
“I was quite stunned that nothing happened to them,” she said. “I’m just upset because from the outside looking in, nothing happened. They’re just on probation.”
The woman said she did not believe the coaches should have been fired from the district as teachers, but that the board should have removed them as coaches.
“They have to take our kids on the buses from school out of town to different games,” she said. “I know there was no issues on the bus going to Pittsburg or coming from, but that trust issue is still there. I guarantee you if they go to a football camp at Pittsburg next year, my boys will not be going.”
Closed meeting
Townsend and members of his coaching staff entered Tuesday’s closed-door meeting at 6:46 p.m. They emerged at 7:25 p.m. and left the building without commenting to reporters.
The coaches apparently told the board that they were participating in football camp events when the hazing incident took place in a dorm during the program at PSU, according to the school board’s attorney.
Townsend did not return a message left on his cell phone on Wednesday.
Background
At least 50 members of the Seneca football team went to the summer football camp in early June at PSU. The students stayed in a dormitory, with an undisclosed number of Seneca football coaches serving as chaperones.
According to a police report, upperclassmen used plastic window blind rods to strike 17 underclassmen. Some team members also allegedly placed their genitals on the faces of younger players.
The Crawford County, Kan., prosecuting attorney’s office has charged eight Seneca players with multiple felony counts of aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery. Three other players face one count each of misdemeanor battery. At least one player is 18 and faces charges as an adult. Legal proceedings for the others will start in juvenile court, where a decision will be made whether to charge them as adults.
No charges were filed against members of Seneca’s coaching staff.
In a statement issued July 16, school district officials said 12 players had been suspended or expelled. Student punishments were handed out July 1.
Along with the suspensions, five of the Seneca players were banned from participating in any athletics for 365 days. Four more were removed from the 2010-11 football team.
Appeal requests
At least nine parents of students who were punished by the school district have requested hearings before the school board to appeal the decisions.
