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Father, son say supplement is legal
National Collegiate Athletic Association has not banned creatine, according a YSU coach.
STRUTHERS — A 15-year-old Struthers High School football player appealed his suspension from school for using a muscle-building supplement containing creatine.
The hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at the board of education office.
Lennard Burke Jr. was suspended for 10 days, beginning Feb. 4, and could face expulsion from school for using a supplement that his father, Lennard Sr., a law enforcement officer, said is akin to taking vitamins.
“I would never let my kid bring something to the school that was illegal or banned. I bought it for him. We’re just challenging. It’s not a medication,” said Burke Sr.
Burke Jr., who is also a member of the school’s show choir, said creatine is not like steroids and is not a drug or over-the-counter medicine. It can be purchased in health food stores and is not prohibited by the school student handbook, he said.
The handbook delineates the rules that students must follow.
Schools Superintendent Robert Rostan said he would not discuss the case of a specific student. But, he did say there is a sign in the school weight training room listing banned substances, which includes creatine.
However, both Burke Jr. and Burke Sr. say they were told the sign in the weight room was not put up until the day after Burke Jr. was suspended.
According to the Web site, MedicineNet.com., “creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine is produced from creatine, a molecule of major importance for energy production in muscles.”
The MuscleTech Web site says Creakic Hardcore, the pill that Burke Jr. had in his possession, is “designed to ... create the perfect environment for maximum muscle creatine absorption, which means more muscle.”
John Patrick, strength and conditioning coach for the Youngstown State University football team, said the use of creatine is not banned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. However, he said, as a personal choice the YSU staff does not distribute creatine to its players. He said there are less expensive products that are as effective.
Burke Sr. said his wife, Gina, went to the high school to find out about their son’s suspension and ended up being yelled at by Joseph Fuline, associate high school principal.
While his wife was at the school, Burke Sr. said he talked on the telephone to Fuline and he (Fuline) yelled at him too.
“I asked what rule my son broke. I said it [creatine] was just like vitamins, and Mr. Fuline said: ‘I’m considering this stuff [creatine] just like cocaine.’”
Also, Burke Sr. said he and his wife instructed their son to not answer any questions and told the school not to question him. Instead, after their request, the high school principal questioned Burke Jr.
As a result, Burke Sr. said he and his wife have filed complaints against Fuline and high school principal Mary Ann Meadows, which were to be presented at today’s hearing and then forwarded to the Ohio Department of Education.
Fuline declined to comment on the matter, and Meadows was out of the office and not available for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Burke Sr. said his son, who received a 10-day suspension at the beginning of the school year, “knows the rules of the school, so he wouldn’t do anything to get another suspension He knows he has a target on his back.”
“All he had was a food supplement. It’s stuff I approved for him to take before and after workouts. It’s not a medication. It’s just like the vitamins I take to stay healthy,” Burke Sr. said.
“My son is sad and depressed. He’s not a bad kid. We have discipline in our home. I just feel terrible for him,” Burke Sr. said.
alcorn@vindy.com