THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 7, 1995 TAG: 9510070246
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Eleven Manteo High School football players were suspended from Friday night's homecoming game against Roanoke Rapids for allegedly violating school district and team policy regarding the use of alcohol.
Manteo Principal Everett Walterhouse confirmed that the student-athletes were suspended from school effective last Monday for the Sept. 29 incident following the Redskins' loss at Asheville.
That suspension, however, will be put on hold until parents and students have the opportunity to appeal before the full Dare County Board of Education.
Walterhouse declined to release the names of the students involved.
"At the present time, they're suspended for tonight's game," Walterhouse said Friday afternoon. "The incident occurred between the end of the game at about 10:30 p.m. and curfew at 12:30. The players were on their own, but were semi-supervised."
Walterhouse did not elaborate on the alleged drinking incident.
Under the school board's substance abuse policy, if the appeal is denied, students will be suspended for 10 days of classes, and 18 weeks of extra-curricular activities. The players would miss the remainder of the 1995 football season if their suspension is upheld.
If the parents and students agree to undergo counseling, the suspension can be reduced to five days and nine weeks of extra-curricular activities.
In the past, Manteo High has had a policy in which student-athletes were asked to sign a document pledging to follow all school rules. Walterhouse said that since a system-wide policy was in place, there was no need for the documents this season.
Walterhouse, who is in his first year as Manteo principal, said he hopes that the situation would have positive long-term ramifications.
``I think this is pretty typical for a high school,'' said the principal. ``I feel sure our students can turn a situation like this into something positive. It's my hope that they will learn from this, and it won't happen again.''
Football Coach Steve Basnight, in his first year as head coach, said disciplinary action taken by the school is part of the educational process.
``This was a situation where they violated one of our team rules and I took disciplinary action,'' Basnight said. ``I think the thing to remember here is that above everything else, we're teachers dealing with children. The football field is a classroom, and it's our responsibility to educate the students who are there. This is part of it.''
Dare County Board of Education member David Daniels said he was shocked to learn of the suspension. But Daniels withheld any statement until an investigation into the incident is complete.
``I can't really say anything until I know all the facts,'' he said Friday.
The Dare County Board of Education meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kitty Hawk Elementary School. At that time, parents will have the opportunity to ask for an appeal of the suspensions. A hearing will be scheduled at a later date, Walterhouse said. by CNB