quote:
There seems to have been Code of Conducts for athletes for many years. I remember having implications way back in 85-89 of actions you did away from the school even while not representing the school.

You're correct. Problem isn't the policy, rather the individuals within the school who determine what exactly constitutes an athlete being punished.

Three years ago, a former player of mine was getting ready for his junior year of baseball. The kid (white) comes from a great family. He's an excellent student, works hard and has always been a very good athlete.

Shortly before baseball season was set to begin he went to birthday party for a friend. At some point the mother asked everyone to pose for a photograph. Someone unrolled a large bed sheet and held it up in front of everyone posing for the picture. My baseball player was standing behind the group on the front porch of the home, where he had been standing for several minutes. He had no way of seeing what was written on the sheet.

Within hours of the photograph being posted to social media, all hell broke loose. Written in large letters on the bed sheet was "The Real N***ers House! It was taken from a line of a popular hip hop song at the time. Standing in the background of that photograph, wearing his school issued baseball cap was my player.

Within 48 hours, the "athletic council" had convened and suspended him from any athletics for a year.

He appealed the School Board where he claimed that he had no idea what had been written on the sheet and wasn't even posing for the photograph. It didn't matter.

In the photograph there were several other athletes wearing caps or shirts with the school logo. They were also suspended for a year, but most of them transferred to other schools. My player waited it out, missed his junior year (where he would have been the starting short stop) and then missed his senior year due to covid.

Someone has to use a little common sense, and that should always be the adults looking at these cases.