Playoff ban lifted for suspended Lehigh basketball players

FORT MYERS, Fla. – On day four of a five-day school suspension, nine Lehigh Senior High School basketball players and their parents received what they considered to be good news: the boys can rejoin the team to play in a district tournament next week.

Lee County School Board reversed a decision to deny nine childrens’ eligibility to play any sports for the remainder of the year. The players were originally suspended for two days with no ban from games as school officials decided a final punishment for posting an explicit-laden video to Facebook.

Parents meet with board again over ‘severe’ punishment

The eligibility of the players changed again Thursday afternoon after the parents of three of the nine players, along with an attorney representing one of the parents, met with Superintendent Dr. Greg Adkins and other district staff Thursday morning.

“The Superintendent has thanked the parents and (Attorney Joseph) North for their input and has indicated to all that he believes we are a better school district as a result of the dialogue that has occurred this week,” district spokeswoman Amity Chandler said in a statement.

The meeting resulted in the restoration of the nine basketball players’ eligibility, orders for them to complete 40 hours of community service and to create a presentation about social media awareness.

The reinstatement  of the Lehigh Lightning players came one day after a squad of mostly junior varsity players claimed a victory over Estero High School at home in a single-elimination game. The win bought the nine suspended players more time as their parents worked to appeal their controversial ban.

Thursday’s meeting, which lasted for over an hour, was the second between the parents and district officials following the release of a vulgar video showing the students free-styling sexually explicit lyrics.

“Everyone on both sides expressed their points of view,” said North, an attorney for one of the parents. “We will know later today how productive the meeting was. The punishment that had been leveled was too severe.”

Many people agreed with North, while others commented that the boys should understand there are repercussions for poor behavior.

Student athletes speak after reversal of controversial ban

Jarvis Martin, Jr. was one of the nine suspended players. He said he became remorseful once he understood that people were counting on him.

“When we heard we wouldn’t be playing anymore I cried a little bit because I was hurt,” Martin said. “I let my parents and all the people around us down because of our mistake.”

Most of the children’s parents expressed their frustration with both the video and the school district. The boys deserved to be held accountable for their actions, but the school district was being too severe and also jeopardizing its students’ futures, they said. Some of the players were looking forward to playing for scouts as they awaited prospects for college scholarships.

Jartavius Martin, another suspended player, said he made a mistake.

“Some people may look at us different because of some of the things that we did but, you know, everyone makes mistakes,” Martin said. “You just have to learn from it.”

Head coach Dawn McNew and her two paid assistant coaches, were banned from postseason play after the boys’ were suspended.

The playoff reinstatement does not apply to the coaches, who are under a professional standards inquiry, Chandler said. That investigation is not expected to be completed before the end of the season, she said.

The player’s five-day suspension is still being enforced, but the players will be back on the court for a district playoff game Feb. 11.

Jarvis Martin said he is relieved that next week won’t be a repeat of key starters’ absence from a district game.

“It was very hard because I wanted to be there for them but they got the win for us. I just feel good that we will be back on the court,” he said.

The nine players’ school suspension ends Friday.

School board provides details into suspension

School Board Chairman Steven Teuber on Wednesday explained why the students were suspended:

• The players were ordered by school principal Jackie Corey to remove the video from Facebook, but after doing so, posted it on YouTube, where it gained thousands of views.
• The players were supposed to be in the stands supporting the junior varsity team, who were playing at the time the video was shot.
• The video was made while at a sporting event, which according to the state High School Athletic Association, is reason for suspension from athletic activities.
• An assistant coach who was supposed to be in the locker room while students are present was not there.
• Some of the players were wearing their team jerseys in the video.
• The district was hesitant to suspend McNew because females cannot be in the locker room while male players are changing and showering, but did so because it is her team.