District suspends Cañon City football over initiation ritual

The Cañon City Tigers football team will forfeit their next two games after district officials implemented a two-game suspension for violating Colorado High School Activities Association bylaws for conducting an initiation ritual off-school property.

NEW AT TEN,..AND ONLY ON NEWS FIVE.SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AT CANONCITY HIGH SCHOOL HAVE SUSPENDEDTHE VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM FORTHE NEXT TWO GAMES FOLLOWING ACRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO ASTUDENT INITIATION RITUAL.THIS IS THE SECOND INSTANCE OFTHIS KIND OF INVESTIGATION INTHE LAST THREE WEEKS HERE INSOUTHERN COLORADO.A SIMILAR INVESTIGATION JUSTCONCLUDED AT FALCON HIGH SCHOOL.NEWS 5'S ANDY KOEN HAS THE STORYFROM CANON CITY TONIGHT."IN A JOINT STATEMENT, THEPOLICE AND SCHOOL DISTRICTREPORTED THAT INVESTIGATORS DIDNOT FIND EVIDENCE OF A CRIME.HOWEVER, THE INCIDENT DIDVIOLATE CHSAA BYLAWS."ADMINISTRATORS WITH CANON CITYSCHOOLS LEARNED ABOUT THEINITIATION RITUAL JUST OVER AWEEK AGO."THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSIONHAPPENING AT THE SCHOOL THAT ATEACHER GOT WIND OF AND WEFOLLOWED UP ON WITH STUDENTS TOSEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING BEHINDWHAT WE WERE HEARING AND WEPROCEEDED FROM THERE."OFFICERS WORKED WITH "KINDREDKIDS CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER" TOINTERVIEW PLAYERS ON TUESDAY.THEY WANTED TO IDENTIFY ANYPOTENTIAL HAZING VICTIMS ANDWITNESSES.C-C-P-D HAS SINCE CLOSED THECRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SAYINGTHOSE INTERVIEWS DID NOT MEETTHE BURDEN OF PROOF THAT A CRIMEHAD OCCURRED."THERE IS A CRIMINAL STATUTE FORHAZING BUT THIS DID NOT MEETTHEIR THRESHOLD FOR WHAT THATWOULD LOOK LE.IKRATHER IT DID MEET IT FOR THECHSAA BYLAWS."HE SAID THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACEOFF-CAMPUS.PLAYERS FROM THE VARSITY TM EAWERE PRESENT BUT NOT FROM THEJ-V AND FRESENHM SQUADS.AND COACHES AND STAFF WEREUNAWE AROF WHAT WAS GOING ON."WE TAKE ANY ALLEGATION RYVESERIOUSLY AND INITIALLY WHEN WEHEARD FR TOMHE ONSET THAT THEREWAS SOME FEAR OR INTIMIDATION,EVEN SOME EMOTIONAL STRESS THATCAME ALONG WITH IF NOT ACTUALACTIONS TAKING PLACE B AUTTHREAT THAT THERE COULD BEWE,WAEDNTTO LEARN MORE."THEY LEARNED THROUGH THEINVESTIGATION THAT SOME STUDENTSWERE PINNED DOWN AGAINST THEIRWILL BUT THAT MOST OF THE D BABEHAVIOR INVOLVED EMOTIONALSTRESS ANDEA FR."OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS BUILT ONTHE IDEA THAT WE TAKE CARE OFTHE WHOLE CHILD AND THIS WAS ANINSTANCE WHERE WE WERE COMPELLEDTO DO SO.""THE NEXT TWO GAMES IN QUESTIONFOR CANON CITY ARE AWAY GAS.METHEY WERE TO TRAVEL TOBROOMFIELD TO PLAY HOLY FAMILYAND THEN TO PUEBLO SOUTH.WATCHING OUT FOR YOU FREMONTCOUNTY, ANDY KOEN NEWS 5."