The Cedar Valley High School baseball team has encountered a sudden snag in their season as the Alpine School District investigates their coaches for alleged "inappropriate behavior and inadequate supervision" during an out-of-town competition. This matter has resulted in the coaches being placed on administrative leave, which has also led to the cancellation of a game scheduled for Thursday night. The necessity for investigation came to light after reports highlighted potential misconduct during a school-sponsored athletic trip.
Details about the specifics of the allegations remain under wraps, but an unfortunate consequence for the team is certain, they missed their Thursday gameplay. According to ABC4, the school district has confirmed the leave of the coaches and cancellation of the Thursday game. The plan is for the season to carry on as normal after Spring Break, putting a temporary pause on the potential consequences of this investigation.
Rich Stowell, a spokesman for the Alpine School District, emphasized the gravity of any violation of the student and employee code of conduct policies. "We have the expectation that all of our student activities are adequately supervised," said Stowell, as per KSL. Stowell further clarified that while the investigation was still underway, the term 'hazing' had not been used in discussions, but was not off the table as a potential issue that could emerge from the findings.
The Alpine School District has placed student and athlete safety as a top priority amidst this turmoil. As obtained by FOX13, "We will continue to talk to those involved to determine how to improve our programs, policies, and procedures." As the community awaits results from the ongoing investigation, the coaches’ immediate future with the team appears to hang in the balance, with a focused lens on ensuring these kinds of incidents are prevented moving forward.
