On July 20 of 2014, a 15-year-old boy from Pickerington, Ohio attempted to abduct an innocent woman outside of her home. Exactly two months later, he grabbed a different woman outside her home. On both occasions, the women escaped and the troubled teen fled. Luckily, the Pickerington North student, who shall remain unnamed, could not run from the law as quickly as he vanished from the scenes. This past January he pleaded guilty to two felony accounts of abduction as part of a plea bargain which dropped any kidnapping charges. The sophomore, now 16, avoided spending two years at the Department of Youth Services, Ohio’s juvenile correctional system, but will be on probation until he is 21 and is responsible for 200 hours of community service, according to the Fairfield County Juvenile Court records. Now, over a year after the first incident, he is facing perhaps more backlash at school than he did in the courtroom.
The student was cleared by both the courts and the school board to return to classes this year, but there are concerns from parents regarding his spot on the football team. On Aug. 27, some parents became outraged as they watched a convicted felon storm the field alongside their sons. In an interview with NBC news, Mark Kenney, a parent who is running for a position on the Pickerington school board this November, claims that “it is a big deal” that the student is playing football. Another parent who remained unidentified in her interview with NBC believes that the student deserves a second chance after doing his time, not persecution. Parents feel so strongly about this subject that they have taken to a Facebook page called The Official Pickerington Uncensored to discuss the question at hand: should the student be allowed to play football?
I think that the concern expressed by parents in Pickerington is not only understandable, but to be expected. Their worries should be heard and discussed by the Pickerington school district, as this scenario is uncommon, questionable, and frankly, a little bit scary. As parents are continuing to complain and wonder about why there is a 16-year-old felon on the football field, the Pickerington School District seems to be replying with the same answer. “Every student on the Pickerington High School North football team meets all state and district eligibility requirements to attend classes in Pickerington schools and to participate in extracurricular activities,” read an email sent from district members to NBC. So, okay, the kid meets all the requirements. Still, there are questions. Why is Pickerington High School North allowing a student convicted of a felony to represent the school publicly? Why is it so easy for a felon to meet high school eligibility standards?
According to Pickerington schools’ student handbook, a student may only be expelled or suspended if the student is 16 years or older at the time the student committed the alleged violation. Additionally, the handbook states that each student has the right to equal educational opportunity and freedom from discrimination, as well as due process of law. These policies in conjunction with the student’s adherence to OHSAA eligibility standards make it challenging, if not impossible, for the district to deny the student the right to play football for his school. Furthermore, the football coach, up to this point, has not reported any issues with the student. There is no justifiable reason why the student should not be allowed to play football for Pickerington High School North- except for the fact that some people in the community still see him as a threat. If the school district does not comply to parents’ complaints and allows the student to continue playing football, I believe that to make other students (players, cheerleaders, etc.) feel safer and to help parents feel more at ease, the student should be under constant surveillance by coaches and/ or teachers. The student does have the right to represent his school on the football field, but it is important that the school does not deny other students’ rights in the process of ensuring his. As Mark Kenney stated in his interview with NBC, the first priority is the safety of the students. So long as teachers and coaches supervise the student and none of his peers feel that they are at risk, the student should remain on the team.
This situation is confusing, and without knowledge of all the details pertaining to the case it is difficult to form an opinion about whether the student should be allowed to play. Pickerington parents are persistent in their endeavors to get the student off of the team, but as of now, his name remains on the roster.
So what do you think? Should he be allowed to play? Click the button below to let us know what you think.
The student was cleared by both the courts and the school board to return to classes this year, but there are concerns from parents regarding his spot on the football team. On Aug. 27, some parents became outraged as they watched a convicted felon storm the field alongside their sons. In an interview with NBC news, Mark Kenney, a parent who is running for a position on the Pickerington school board this November, claims that “it is a big deal” that the student is playing football. Another parent who remained unidentified in her interview with NBC believes that the student deserves a second chance after doing his time, not persecution. Parents feel so strongly about this subject that they have taken to a Facebook page called The Official Pickerington Uncensored to discuss the question at hand: should the student be allowed to play football?
I think that the concern expressed by parents in Pickerington is not only understandable, but to be expected. Their worries should be heard and discussed by the Pickerington school district, as this scenario is uncommon, questionable, and frankly, a little bit scary. As parents are continuing to complain and wonder about why there is a 16-year-old felon on the football field, the Pickerington School District seems to be replying with the same answer. “Every student on the Pickerington High School North football team meets all state and district eligibility requirements to attend classes in Pickerington schools and to participate in extracurricular activities,” read an email sent from district members to NBC. So, okay, the kid meets all the requirements. Still, there are questions. Why is Pickerington High School North allowing a student convicted of a felony to represent the school publicly? Why is it so easy for a felon to meet high school eligibility standards?
According to Pickerington schools’ student handbook, a student may only be expelled or suspended if the student is 16 years or older at the time the student committed the alleged violation. Additionally, the handbook states that each student has the right to equal educational opportunity and freedom from discrimination, as well as due process of law. These policies in conjunction with the student’s adherence to OHSAA eligibility standards make it challenging, if not impossible, for the district to deny the student the right to play football for his school. Furthermore, the football coach, up to this point, has not reported any issues with the student. There is no justifiable reason why the student should not be allowed to play football for Pickerington High School North- except for the fact that some people in the community still see him as a threat. If the school district does not comply to parents’ complaints and allows the student to continue playing football, I believe that to make other students (players, cheerleaders, etc.) feel safer and to help parents feel more at ease, the student should be under constant surveillance by coaches and/ or teachers. The student does have the right to represent his school on the football field, but it is important that the school does not deny other students’ rights in the process of ensuring his. As Mark Kenney stated in his interview with NBC, the first priority is the safety of the students. So long as teachers and coaches supervise the student and none of his peers feel that they are at risk, the student should remain on the team.
This situation is confusing, and without knowledge of all the details pertaining to the case it is difficult to form an opinion about whether the student should be allowed to play. Pickerington parents are persistent in their endeavors to get the student off of the team, but as of now, his name remains on the roster.
So what do you think? Should he be allowed to play? Click the button below to let us know what you think.