The Greene County board of education will consider revisions to the activity eligibility/good conduct policy at its regular meeting Wednesday at 6:30 pm at the administrative building in Jefferson.
Two revisions to the policy were discussed at the board’s November meeting. In the existing policy, students who violate the policy can not participate in one-fourth of the contests or performances of the activities in which the student is participating at the time of the violation. A revision specifies that students will not be allowed to begin participating in an activity already in progress in order to serve that penalty.
Another revision would allow the school administration to declare a student ineligible for an additional period of time if the student is found guilty of a serious criminal/felony offense.
An addition to the policy mirrors the Perry eligibility policy, which was used as an example at the board’s November meeting. It would give administrators leeway in dealing with egregious violations of the policy. New language states: “In addition, if the student’s conduct either in or out of school is such as to make him/her unworthy to represent the ideals, principles or standards of the Greene County District, the superintendent of schools or his/her designee shall declare the student ineligible.”
Click here to read the Greene County CSD’s activity eligibility/good conduct policy. The proposed revisions to the policy are in red.
The policy came under scrutiny when a high profile basketball player joined the football team after the season began so he could serve a period of ineligibility that was the result of a charge against him of sexual assault-third degree, a Class D felony. The loophole in the existing policy was the topic of a GreeneCountyNewsOnline “Riley Online” column Sept. 30. Other news sources have picked up the story in the past week.
The case against the student was reverse waived last week from Greene County district court to juvenile court. The student is among the top scorers on the varsity basketball team.
