The Edinburgh High School football team resumed practicing Monday and is preparing to play its home football game on Friday against Switzerland County as scheduled as the school and local police investigate a formal harassment complaint involving members the football program. Edinburgh canceled its homecoing game against Milan last Friday due to the investigation.
Edinburgh coach Tyler DeSpain, in his seventh season, confirmed in a text message that “we are practicing this week and are planning on playing as of now.” The individuals charged in the complaint are not believed to be with the team.
Jim Halik, the interim superintendent at Edinburgh, said Saturday that the harassment complaint was filed late on Thursday to himself and principal Kevin Rockey. Halik cited FERPA, a law that protects the privacy of student education records, in declining to discuss the nature of the harassment further but said he was planning to have a compliance officer assigned starting Monday to begin an independent investigation.
“We have zero tolerance on any harassment,” Halik said Saturday. “It doesn’t matter what kind or what it is. I think it’s important for people to understand that there are consequences for those actions. Right now, we are still working on that.”
Edinburgh announced the cancelation of the game on Friday afternoon, posting the message “due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight’s homecoming football game and all related homecoming activities are canceled.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Edinburgh football team planning to play Friday after canceling homecoming game last week
Reporting by Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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