State board upholds Gwinnett baseball player suspensions
State education board members upheld Gwinnett school officials’ decision to suspend five students accused of hazing and sexual battery against younger teammates during an out-of-state baseball tournament.
The incident occurred in June in a hotel room in North Charleston, S.C. Several members of the “Panthers Summer Baseball Team” — a travel squad composed of many Parkview High players but run by the parent-led Parkview Dugout Club — were allegedly at the hotel after a tournament when six upperclassmen began “wrestling” with and sexually assaulting younger players. Coaches alerted school district administrators and police.
North Charleston police were unable to interview potential victims and didn't file charges by the time suspensions were handed down in August. Gwinnett school officials suspended five students, some for an entire semester.
The students argued the suspensions were inappropriate because Gwinnett lacked credible evidence of the actions alleged, they were innocent bystanders, or the school district lacked the jurisdiction to impose any disciplinary action at all.
State law allows students to appeal school district disciplinary rulings to the state’s education department.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
