Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Canfield slogans were
spray-painted on Poland High’s football field and
locker room building.
POLAND — Eleven Canfield High School students are expected to face consequences for vandalism that occurred last week at Poland Seminary High School’s football stadium.
Poland Superintendent Dr. Robert Zorn said he was contacted Friday evening by Canfield school officials that the students had been identified. Poland isn’t seeking criminal charges, Zorn said.
Canfield Superintendent Dante Zambrini said administrators did an investigation and knew by Friday afternoon who was involved. They are all boys, mostly seniors, he said. Some are athletes, but none is a football player, he said.
Poland school employees arrived to work the morning of Oct. 26 and found spray-painted Canfield slogans on the football field and on the building that houses the locker room. Poland and Canfield high schools faced off that night in their annual football rivalry. Canfield won, 28-10.
The boys face suspension from extracurricular activities for the next several weeks, Zambrini said. They are banned from extracurricular activities with Poland for the rest of the year.
For those whose sports seasons are still ahead, there will be consequences in their athletic participation, Zambrini said.
They will all perform community service in Canfield and in Poland, he said.
They will have Saturday detentions. They will also pay restitution for the cleanup at Poland.
The amount of restitution that each student must pay hasn’t been determined, Zorn said. Since the cleanup of the latex paint was completed by school district employees, it isn’t expected to be a large amount.
Zambrini said that when most of those involved were questioned, they admitted their involvement and understood what they did was wrong.
“They were overzealous in the competition,” he said.
Zambrini said he met with Poland administrators and personally apologized for what happened.
He said he and Zorn understand the boys are kids. They made a bad decision, he said.