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LOGAN -- Three Logan High School football players will sit out a quarter of their upcoming playoff game after, according to police, they admitted to stealing items from lockers.
So how long should a high school athlete be suspended if they're charged with a crime? A look at various districts around the state finds player suspensions vary greatly from district to district.
The Utah High School Activities Association says if a student gets in trouble with the law there is no statewide guideline regarding suspensions unless it deals specifically with alcohol, tobacco, or drugs or is a sportsmanship issue. In all other cases the association leaves it up to the individual school and district to decide their own actions.
What we're trying to ensure is that students who represent their school or district are held to higher standards. Because they're representing us, we want to make sure they live up to that.
–- Steven Dunham
Calls to various school districts around Utah by KSL found those policies regarding suspending students activities vary widely. The Jordan district, for example, implemented a new policy in July and according to district spokesperson Steven Dunham, if a student is charged with a felony all extracurricular activities are suspended until the charge is resolved.
"What we're trying to ensure is that students who represent their school or district are held to higher standards," Dunham said. "Because they're representing us, we want to make sure they live up to that."
In the case of misdemeanors in the Jordan District, the student will have to go before a board and defend themselves before a punishment is implemented. In the Provo School District a policy is in place that says if a student is charged or admits to stealing anything valued over $300 dollars, that student is suspended for a minimum of five days including all school-related activities. From there, a ruling will be made on further actions.
The Logan School District told KSL that in the case of the three football players, a one day suspension and being suspended at least one quarter of an upcoming game is consistent with how they handled past similar situations.
Email:rjeppesen@ksl.com.
