A New York high school sacked the rest of its varsity football season after a “rap battle” among teammates descended into a locker room fight last month, according to a report.
Newburgh Free Academy’s promising season in the Hudson Valley was canceled before the Goldbacks were set to play Middletown in the Section 9 Class AA semifinals this week, the Middletown Times Herald-Record reported Tuesday.
A source told the outlet players on the team got involved in a “rap battle” in which peers lobbed insults at one another, but things quickly spiraled out of control.
Players began tossing chairs at each other, leaving one student with bad bruising, sources told ABC 7.
Several teammates intervened during the clash, the newspaper reported.
Players only directly tied to the showdown were suspended by head coach Bill Bianco before more players were also barred from playing for simply being in the locker room during the kerfuffle.
“It literally wasn’t more than one incident,” the source told the Times Herald Record.
School officials didn’t let the issue rest and started internal probes at Newburgh’s main campus and a second school campus without first alerting the coaching staff, the source claimed.
The coaching staff then faced suspension with the junior varsity and freshman program coaches expected to step in before the playoff game was forfeited, the source said.
“Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, the remainder of the football season has been canceled,” School superintendent Dr. Jackielyn Manning Campbell told parents in a letter Tuesday, per the Times Herald Record.
“While I regret this outcome, it is a necessary step as we continue to gather information, support those who have been impacted, and ensure accountability for those involved.”
The Newburgh Free Academy school chief told ABC 7 last week her team is taking the allegations around the incident “extremely seriously” after becoming aware of the possible code of conduct violations on Oct. 25.
“As part of my oversight of the investigation, I will ensure that the details of the investigation guide the next steps and decision-making process,” Campbell said. “These allegations are serious and require our serious attention to the matter.”
