Glenbard District 87 suspensions stand, but school leaders want more feedback
Glenbard High School District 87 officials confirmed Tuesday the decision to suspend about 30 athletes for attending parties where alcohol was present is final.
However, in light of protests by some parents about enforcement of the school's athletic code, school leaders say they'll be soliciting additional feedback from others on the matter.
More than 100 people, some who supported the policy, attended the District 87 school board meeting to air their views.
“Last night, the parents were framing the code as arbitrary, unfair, too punitive,” Superintendent David Larson said. “We have not heard that.”
Larson said it will take a few weeks to get additional feedback, and if there is “some resounding, consistent message” that indicates a need to review the policy, officials will do so.
The parents' complaints generally centered around suspensions that occurred regardless of whether the student-athletes were seen drinking. In one instance, only the host of an underage party where drinking occurred was cited, but police turned over to district officials the names of Glenbard West students who attended. Parents complained that those who ran away from the party were not disciplined.
Most of the controversy involved Glenbard West, but Larson said school leaders want to hear from principals and athletic directors from the other three Glenbard schools and other staff members.
But Larson added the district won't arbitrarily rewrite the policy because of the complaints.
“We have incidents throughout the year as a result of students violating the code of conduct, so this is one of them,” he said. “So it would just be poor governance and reactionary and shortsighted to respond by looking at changing the policy.”