School officials suspended 17-year-old Sean Heaney from participating in football, wrestling and lacrosse for the remainder of the year.
The senior, who didn't play in the Greenport/Southold/Mattituck team's opening football game Friday night against Hampton Bays, was arrested for driving while intoxicated after an Aug. 23 car wreck on Front Street in Greenport, police reported last week.
Scholar athletes in Greenport sign a contract that prohibits players from possessing or using drugs or alcoholic beverages with the knowledge that such behavior would result in blocking them from participation in or attendance at all extracurricular activities.
But Mr. Heaney's father, Kerry Heaney, protested the punishment at the Sept. 9 school board meeting, pointing out that his son hasn't had his day in court.
"I don't know how you convicted this kid of something he hasn't been convicted of," said Mr. Heaney, who added that he will decide in the next week whether to file an official appeal with the Greenport school board.
Mr. Heaney, who on Wednesday refused to comment on his son's suspension, was joined in his protest at the school board meeting by coaches, parents and several of his son's teammates. Sean Heaney did not speak during the discussion.
Some speakers at the meeting weren't opposed to punishment, but said the arrest shouldn't block the athlete from playing this fall at a time when the all-division player is being evaluated by college football scouts for a possible scholarship.
"Sometimes that's the only chance kids have," football coach Jim Anderson said.
It could make or break his future, other audience members argued.
Football is a positive thing for Sean Heaney, assistant coach Tom Mangiamele said. "Taking something positive away creates bad feelings."
Several parents argued that through the years, students and staff members have been guilty of violations that have gone unpunished.
"If a child makes a mistake, we have to be there to guide them through," teacher's aide MaryAnn Jaeger said. At the same time, she raised a question about what message lifting the punishment might send to students who have previously paid the full price for their misbehavior.
"We hold our students and athletes to a higher level," another speaker said.
Wrestling coach Cory Dolson from Mattituck High School asked the Greenport school board to examine policies other North Fork school districts use to determine eligibility for extracurricular activities. Mr. Heaney is also an accomplished wrestler who appeared in the 2009 USA Wrestling magazine. He was undefeated in his 171-pound weight class in League VI competition last year.
Many North Fork school teams have students from each of the three area districts, but each district maintains its own contracts pertaining to eligibility.
"I'm not so sure you can take something not related to school and relate it to school without a conviction," Mattituck-Cutchogue Superintendent James McKenna said. In his more than 20 years of involvement with the district, he can't remember a single instance of a situation parallel to Mr. Heaney's.
The Mattituck-Cutchogue policy calls for suspension from one game for any student under the influence of alcohol or drugs on campus and dismissal from the team for a second such offense.
In Southold, a student found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol would be immediately suspended, but could appeal to the school's athletic advisory committee. The suspension would remain in force until or unless the advisory committee reversed it, Superintendent David Gamberg said.
In both districts, policies stipulate that any behavior off school property that conflicts with their codes of conduct could subject a student to suspension or dismissal after consultation with school officials.
Greenport Superintendent Mike Comanda and board members allowed public discussion of Mr. Heaney's case, but didn't answer questions or comment because the matter is the subject of potential litigation, Mr. Comanda said.
Board members said they can't act unless they receive an official appeal. Mr. Comanda on Wednesday would not say whether an appeal has been filed.