LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Parents in Niagara County's Starpoint Central School District had their first chance to voice their frustrations after the high school canceled its wrestling season a few weeks ago.
At Monday night's school board meeting emotions ran high as several parents and wrestling team members at the high school addressed the board for the first time in nearly a month and they wanted answers.
"You threw all these kids under the bus," said one parent who attended the meeting. "Whoever of you up here voted for that. And you should be ashamed of yourself and I hope when you go home tonight you never sleep again. You think it's funny?"
"The problem is to date we still haven't even been told exactly what the allegations are," said another parent in the district. "All we hear is well there may be more than that. Well what is it. You can defend yourself if you don't know what you're being accused of."
Those who spoke during the public forum say the only official information they've received is that there has been "serious allegations of inappropriate conduct by one or more of its members of its varsity wrestling team" and the remainder of the season is canceled. Many parents say while next season will come, the opportunity this season was slated to bring may not.
"My younger son is a sophomore living with Cystic Fibrosis," said one mom crying at the microphone. "Many of you might not know what that is but let me tell you, it is something he will die from. This year was a healthy year for him but next year we just don't know."
Members of the wrestling team even spoke and shared stories of harassment they said they've faced both in and outside of school.
"Some of these many instances include being called a rapist, disgusting predator and a molester," said on student-athlete.
Parents said they knew of two students who have been removed from the school for the last few weeks and worry this process could make for negative long term labels on each child. One father shared a story of how his son was made uncomfortable while attending an appointment at his pediatrician.
"The nurse looked at my sons varsity jacket and said to him I hope you're not one of these wrestlers," said the father.
The school board did hold a private executive session to discuss what they say is the "employment of a particular individual." At the end of the meeting, the board confirmed that person had been fired. Superintendent Croft said all allegations of inappropriate conduct will be taken seriously to which parents agreed. However, they want their children to be protected during the process as well.
"This isn't WWII Germany, what happened to innocent until proven guilty."
