O.C. Schools Move to Stem Sports-Related Violence

BUENA PARK —  Principals of six schools in the Fullerton Union High School District on Thursday adopted a policy that allows schools to suspend coaches or players who are ejected from sports events, involved in altercations or leave the sidelines or bench during an altercation.

The policy represents the toughest action yet in Southern California against increasing violence at prep sports events.

“It got to the point where I was afraid to open Saturday morning’s paper and read about the next incident,” said La Habra High School Principal Tom Triggs, who proposed the policy. “I kept hearing, ‘Something has to be done.’ Well, we’ve done something. It’s in writing so every coach and player knows what is expected.”

Under the policy:

* Coaches or athletes who are ejected from a sports event will be suspended for the next game.

* Any athlete who leaves the bench or sidelines during an altercation will be suspended for the next game.

* Any athlete who assaults or strikes another athlete, coach or official will be suspended from all prep athletics for one calendar year.

The policy was announced by representatives of the Freeway League, which includes Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Sonora, Sunny Hills and Troy high schools.

Under current policy for the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section, major incidents of violence are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by section administrators. Thursday’s action was in response to eight major, violent incidents that have been reported in the Southern Section this school year.

The incidents included an attack on two football officials by three Palmdale players during a game at College of Canyons in Valencia; an attack on two basketball referees by three Victor Valley players during a game at Moreno Valley High School; an assault on a basketball referee by a fan at a Sunny Hills-Fullerton game in Fullerton; and a fight between basketball players from Servite High in Anaheim and St. Paul High in Santa Fe Springs after a game at Servite.

Five of the eight incidents have been in Orange County, including a fight between basketball players from Villa Park High and El Modena High in Orange. After that incident, Walt Otto, Villa Park principal, said he would consider playing next year’s games between the schools in an empty gymnasium.

The Freeway League also plans to schedule a series of workshops for activity directors, boosters, students and student advisers to review the rules and regulations and to outline the responsibility of administrators for the behavior of students at athletic events.

“Our next challenge is to come up with some type of policy for student sections at the games,” Triggs said.

George Giokaris, principal at Sunny Hills High in Fullerton, announced the Freeway League’s policy at the Southern Section’s general council meeting. The announcement drew applause from principals representing the section’s 66 leagues.

Tom Jacobson, president of the section’s executive committee and principal at Corona del Mar High, said he hoped the section would follow the lead of the Freeway League.

“Possibly some sectionwide decisions for all of us will come out of this,” Jacobson said. “At the very least, I hope other leagues would take this leadership from the Freeway League.”

John Moore, girls athletic director at Trabuco Hills High in Mission Viejo and a prominent basketball official at the high school and college level, also applauded the new policy.

“The principals are sending a message to the athletes in writing,” Moore said. “It’s good to see something like this come from the principals. This way, it’s not a coach’s rule but the principal’s rule, and that will carry more weight.”

Julian Weaver, representative of the San Andreas League in northern San Bernardino County and principal at Victor Valley High, said his league soon will announce a similar policy. Weaver suspended three basketball players for the season for attacking a referee in December at the Moreno Valley Tournament.

“We need a policy for high school athletes who seem to be emulating the actions of professional and college athletes,” Weaver said. “The current trend is disturbing and we all need to do something about it.”

Freeway League principals also adopted a rule that eliminates the coaching box for its basketball coaches. Under current national rules for prep sports, coaches are allowed to stand during the game in a three-foot-wide area known as a coaching box.

Under the new Freeway League policy, coaches must remain seated at all times, except during timeouts or when a player is injured.

“We recognize the volatile nature of the game of basketball and thought it would be best if the coaches remain on the bench,” Giokaris said.

Three years ago, the Southern Section adopted a “seat-belt” policy in which coaches were required to remain seated, but the policy was dropped after one season.