| Updated: 10/23/2012 9:11 am |
Published: 10/22/2012 10:29 pm
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It was standing room only at a special school board meeting in Locust Grove on Monday night.
The district confirmed to FOX23 last week that football players in that community were involved in a hazing incident. On Monday evening, the district heard from parents and community members.
Ultimately, the board chose not to take any action on the status of football coach Matt Hennessey. He will remain coach of the Pirates football team.
There are still many unanswered questions about what exactly happened inside a Locust Grove weight room On Wednesday October 10th.
For the first time, we heard from parents.
“I don’t think where we are asking blame to be placed is correct, I don’t think it’s our coaches,” one mom said.
“The boys are old enough to know better. I don’t know where the coach was at that time that this happened,” a father told the crowd.
“You guys are in a hot seat tonight, and I don’t envy you. The question is simply going to be this, ‘What’s right for the kids?’” A father asked the school board members and Superintendent.
The main issue for many on Monday was about the future of the Locust Grove High School’s football coach, Matt Hennessey. He is who some said should have been watching the weight room when the hazing incident happened.
“I am sorry it happened, yeah they need to learn from it, this,” one mom said, “but push it back? Let’s forget what happened? That’s how Locust wants to be known?”
Many doubted the stories they’ve heard, but one student spoke up.
“I know you guys are going to be mad at me for saying this, but it did happen. It’s not lies. It’s bullying like you said it is,” a Locust Grove High School student told the crowd.
The board again confirmed it will not release specific details of the incident, but parents still have many questions and a community is still searching for answers, but for now, Locust Grove School Board President Rick Condit said the matter is closed.
“It’s always good to hear the concerns of the parents in the district and we listened and we heard. Obviously, that had nothing to do with our decision, we had to base it on the facts,” Condit said.
