A Michigan highschool took “strong and decisive motion” after a disturbing video showed a junior varsity football player pancake an opponent much smaller than him, an official with the state’s highschool athletics association said on Monday.
A Kalamazoo Central High School football player jumped on top of his opponent on the tail end of play during a game against Lakeshore High School on Thursday. The mother of the 15-year-old player told an area Michigan TV station that her son suffered two spinal fractures.
“Our staff has been speaking with each schools since Friday. Kalamazoo Central has taken this matter very seriously they usually have taken strong and decisive motion,” the Michigan High School Athletics Association (MHSAA) told Fox News Digital. “Because of student privacy laws, we cannot disclose the precise accountability actions, but they’ve exceeded what MHSAA regulations would otherwise require in cases of dangerous and unsportsmanlike behavior.
“Our schools can provide additional details as they resolve to achieve this, since they’re handling things internally.”
Kalamazoo Public Schools provided a press release to Fox News later Monday.
“An incident that occurred during Kalamazoo Central High School’s Junior Varsity football game on Sept. 19 was the motion of a person student who displayed an egregious act against a player on the opposing team,” Kalamazoo Public Schools said.
“Such a behavior is unacceptable and doesn’t reflect the values of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity that Kalamazoo Public Schools expects from student-athletes, coaches and your entire school community.
Officials said the coed “received consequences consistent with the Kalamazoo Public Schools Student Code of Conduct and in compliance with Michigan High School Athletic Association regulations.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Lakeshore officials for comment.
Lakeshore Public Schools superintendent Greg Eding sent a letter to students, staff and families in regards to the incident.
“Following a play, a Kalamazoo Central student body slammed a Lakeshore student who was laying on the bottom. This incident was an intentional, unprovoked and flagrant violation of the foundations and appropriate sports conduct and resulted in an injury to one in all our Lakeshore student athletes,” the letter read.
“We wish the Lakeshore student a speedy recovery and we’re in regular communication together with his family regarding this matter. We even have put in place supportive measures to make sure our student athlete can proceed his education while he recovers.
“The incident, which was captured on video and shared widely on social media and across media outlets, is completely unacceptable and has no place in student athletics. The superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools has apologized for the incident and applied serious disciplinary consequences to their student athlete consistent with its student policies and code of conduct.
“Following the incident, each varsity teams got here together before their game on Sept. 19 to say a prayer for the injured student in a showcase of sportsmanship and compassion.”
The player who was on the receiving end of the tackle was identified as Colton by his mother, Courtney Mims. She told WSBT-TV in Michigan that the play left her 15-year-old son with two fractures in his spine.
“As soon because it clicked that it was, I couldn’t be stopped. I needed to go down there. I’ve never felt anything prefer it. I’ve never been as upset or shaken up as I used to be over something for my son,” she told the station on Friday.
“These boys are highschool boys. They’re 15 years old. The sport means rather a lot to them. It’s their whole life without delay. They’re there from before I rise up to go to work within the morning till after dinner, putting within the work and for any individual to attempt to take that from any individual doing a lot is awful for me to see.”
She said that her son was finished for the season and was expected to make a full recovery.
Mims, in posts on Facebook, thanked those offering prayers. She wrote that players from Kalamazoo Central reached out to her to apologize.
“This truly brought me to tears, and has helped remind me that one players actions doesn’t the truth is, reflect a whole team, & hasnt; in all regards,” she wrote. “We stand with the appropriate side, and are so thankful to everyone on this community and lengthening which can be behind us; and proceed to share the story.”
The Kalamazoo Central player wasn’t identified.
Lakeshore school officials told the station that it was “working with the opposite school about this case.
Fox News’ Janelle Benham contributed to this report.
A Michigan highschool took “strong and decisive motion” after a disturbing video showed a junior varsity football player pancake an opponent much smaller than him, an official with the state’s highschool athletics association said on Monday.
A Kalamazoo Central High School football player jumped on top of his opponent on the tail end of play during a game against Lakeshore High School on Thursday. The mother of the 15-year-old player told an area Michigan TV station that her son suffered two spinal fractures.
“Our staff has been speaking with each schools since Friday. Kalamazoo Central has taken this matter very seriously they usually have taken strong and decisive motion,” the Michigan High School Athletics Association (MHSAA) told Fox News Digital. “Because of student privacy laws, we cannot disclose the precise accountability actions, but they’ve exceeded what MHSAA regulations would otherwise require in cases of dangerous and unsportsmanlike behavior.
“Our schools can provide additional details as they resolve to achieve this, since they’re handling things internally.”
Kalamazoo Public Schools provided a press release to Fox News later Monday.
“An incident that occurred during Kalamazoo Central High School’s Junior Varsity football game on Sept. 19 was the motion of a person student who displayed an egregious act against a player on the opposing team,” Kalamazoo Public Schools said.
“Such a behavior is unacceptable and doesn’t reflect the values of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity that Kalamazoo Public Schools expects from student-athletes, coaches and your entire school community.
Officials said the coed “received consequences consistent with the Kalamazoo Public Schools Student Code of Conduct and in compliance with Michigan High School Athletic Association regulations.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Lakeshore officials for comment.
Lakeshore Public Schools superintendent Greg Eding sent a letter to students, staff and families in regards to the incident.
“Following a play, a Kalamazoo Central student body slammed a Lakeshore student who was laying on the bottom. This incident was an intentional, unprovoked and flagrant violation of the foundations and appropriate sports conduct and resulted in an injury to one in all our Lakeshore student athletes,” the letter read.
“We wish the Lakeshore student a speedy recovery and we’re in regular communication together with his family regarding this matter. We even have put in place supportive measures to make sure our student athlete can proceed his education while he recovers.
“The incident, which was captured on video and shared widely on social media and across media outlets, is completely unacceptable and has no place in student athletics. The superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools has apologized for the incident and applied serious disciplinary consequences to their student athlete consistent with its student policies and code of conduct.
“Following the incident, each varsity teams got here together before their game on Sept. 19 to say a prayer for the injured student in a showcase of sportsmanship and compassion.”
The player who was on the receiving end of the tackle was identified as Colton by his mother, Courtney Mims. She told WSBT-TV in Michigan that the play left her 15-year-old son with two fractures in his spine.
“As soon because it clicked that it was, I couldn’t be stopped. I needed to go down there. I’ve never felt anything prefer it. I’ve never been as upset or shaken up as I used to be over something for my son,” she told the station on Friday.
“These boys are highschool boys. They’re 15 years old. The sport means rather a lot to them. It’s their whole life without delay. They’re there from before I rise up to go to work within the morning till after dinner, putting within the work and for any individual to attempt to take that from any individual doing a lot is awful for me to see.”
She said that her son was finished for the season and was expected to make a full recovery.
Mims, in posts on Facebook, thanked those offering prayers. She wrote that players from Kalamazoo Central reached out to her to apologize.
“This truly brought me to tears, and has helped remind me that one players actions doesn’t the truth is, reflect a whole team, & hasnt; in all regards,” she wrote. “We stand with the appropriate side, and are so thankful to everyone on this community and lengthening which can be behind us; and proceed to share the story.”
The Kalamazoo Central player wasn’t identified.
Lakeshore school officials told the station that it was “working with the opposite school about this case.
Fox News’ Janelle Benham contributed to this report.
