Penn Wood High School suspends all athletics as district investigates alleged incident

A school district's decision to suspend all sports is sparking confusion and outrage in Delaware County. All athletic activities in the William Penn School District have been shut down following an unspecified incident. And Chris, now parents are worried about lost opportunities, including possible college scholarships. That's right, Dawn. This is a decision that absolutely shocked and disappointed students and parents here at the William Penn School District. All middle school and high school sports athletics activities have been suspended. While an investigator has been brought in to investigate a particular incident, Fox 29 has learned it stems from allegations of hazing within the high school football team. No more football, no basketball, volleyball, or cheer. No sports at all, as student athletes at Penwood High School have been told they are sidelined indefinitely. The people who really wanted to play, they got their chance taken away from the people that are just like doing unintelligent stuff. So it really do hurt that I can't play football. In a statement, the district says in response to information about an alleged incident that implicates culture and climate in athletics, the William Penn School District has appointed an outside investigator to objectively evaluate the information. In the meantime, all Penwood Middle and High School athletic activities are suspended. The district has not released the nature of the incident, but two sources tell Fox 29 the investigation involves allegations of hazing within the football team. But all sports are now affected. Today, students staged a walkout of class in protest of the decision. Police were called to the school when an unrelated fight broke out. Parents say taking away sports only makes matters worse. They need sports. They need other extracurricular activities to do. See, because when you don't have extracurricular activities to do, this is the type of stuff that happens. For some families, sports are also a path to higher education. Every missed game could mean one last chance to be seen by a college recruiter. A lot of parents can't afford to pay for college. And if you're playing sports, you may be able to be seen and get a scholarship for college. Now students are wondering when they'll get another chance to play and why everyone has to sit out while the investigation continues. Now the district is also asking families to come forward with their experiences, good and bad, to see what is working and what needs improvement. Still no timeline for the return of sports here, but some things like the soccer team is now 9-1. They could have gone to the playoffs. They can't anymore. The football team was supposed to play tonight against Chichester. That game, as well as pretty much every other game on the fall calendar, Dawn, has now been forfeited. Yeah, lots of disappointment there, and it'll be interesting to see what the investigation reveals. Chris, thank you.