Youth Sport League Drug Infraction AWAY from League Venue or Event?

[bausland]

Members of our league administration came to find out that one of the youth in our sports league was suspended from school for possession of an illegal controlled substance/drug item and was under the influence. We do have a player code of conduct that states,
"There will be no drinking, smoking, chewing of tobacco or use of illegal substance at any team function."

The league is trying to determine if it can legally remove this player from a number of games and practices as a result of coming to know that he was suspended from school for the above stated issue.

It seems to me that, as a public non-profit league, not a private club...they CAN NOT, since he was not at a league function or event and the league is in NO way affiliated with the public school or school system.

Any thoughts?

 

[Banned_Princess]

Members of our league administration came to find out that one of the youth in our sports league was suspended from school for possession of an illegal controlled substance/drug item and was under the influence. We do have a player code of conduct that states,
"There will be no drinking, smoking, chewing of tobacco or use of illegal substance at any team function."

The league is trying to determine if it can legally remove this player from a number of games and practices as a result of coming to know that he was suspended from school for the above stated issue.

It seems to me that, as a public non-profit league, not a private club...they CAN NOT, since he was not at a league function or event and the league is in NO way affiliated with the public school or school system.

Any thoughts?

What state are you in?



in short, they definately can suspend a player that was suspended from school if they want, especially if it was for drugs.

 

[bausland]

What state are you in?



in short, they definately can suspend a player that was suspended from school if they want, especially if it was for drugs.

in California...

 

[Banned_Princess]

in California...

So, you are trying to get your kid out of the consequences of bringing drugs to school, by demanding he be able to still play on his team?

 

[bausland]

So, you are trying to get your kid out of the consequences of bringing drugs to school, by demanding he be able to still play on his team?

This is not my kid, as my message said, I am a member of the league's board...and, as with most youth sport leagues, we have a player conduct policy that says athletes are prohibited from the use of tobacco, drugs, or alcohol while at league events or on premises...but I DO NOT believe that gives us latitude to extend to the "off-site" actions of players, even though we were notified by the players friends and mother about him being suspended from school for these very types of things.

 

[Bob.G]

Hmmmmm.....

I feel that the player conduct policy could be used to ban the player. There was a situation where a kid served underage adults some alcoholic beverages. It was not a school sanctioned event, it did not result in any arrests, there were no ties to the school board or legal documents (ticket for breaking some law) to back up that this kid had purchased the alcohol, and gave it to the others. A parent believed her son to be hungover the next day, and took it upon herself to divulge all the information she was told by her son to the school principal. The principal passed it to the board who then voted to expel the student. Their reasoning, and this is true, is that because the make up of the party represented a healthy number of their students it was construed as a "non-sanctioned" school event. Ha, oxymoronic a little right. This was in TX. Bottom line the conduct policy does give them ground to stand on, and act on. However, you could try and bring them over to your side. "Here's an Idea we take a kid with drug problems and throw him out of extra curriculars, that way he can focus on drugs more." Or turn this against them if they say, "I don't want my kid hanging around their kid." Okay, then do your job as a parent and know what your kid is doing, and who he is with. And if you have some angry Christians on the board this is the ultimate shhhhhhhhhh, "Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged," and "Let Him Who is Without Sin Cast the First Stone." He had one issue, and were willing to leave him by the wayside. Great message to send to all the other kids in the league too. (Hmphhhh, NOT!)

 

[csi7]

I would caution on the side of giving this individual a chance to follow the rules, and ensure that everyone is on the same page before an incident happens in the future.

Proactive measures instead of reactive decisions allow the board to be equal, fair, and common to all the people involved, not the tattletales, not the executioners, not the "not near me", and allow the individual to learn positive consequences of their not following rules in general.

Being a member of the board gives you opportunity to be reasonable, and to provide a proactive suggestion. I was a member of a board when a similar incident happened, and the decision was made to keep the individual on for the year with out penalty as there is nothing in writing for what happens outside of team events. The next year, all sorts of rules were set up, and after that deplorable season was through, the rules removed, and it became fun for the kids again.