Charlotte Catholic suspends high school football players following bullying investigation
Charlotte Catholic president Kurt Telford said the school has begun to discipline members of its football team who were involved in at least three incidents of bullying at the school.
Telford informed parents last week that the school was investigating three bullying incidents that occurred in the boys’ locker room and involved members of the Cougars’ powerhouse football team.
Telford said the school found out about the incidents after students reported it. The discipline for the players, he said, includes expulsion from school, suspension and removal from the football team.
“Charlotte Catholic High School has a strict policy that prohibits bullying and intimidation of any kind and includes consequences for anyone involved in such behavior,” Telford said in a statement sent to The Observer on Wednesday. “While our investigation is ongoing, we have already begun to discipline those involved, imposing consequences that have included expulsion, suspension, removal from the football team and other penalties. We appreciate the support we have received from parents and students, who are partnering with us to help ensure incidents like this don’t happen again and that students feel empowered to report concerning behavior, as they did in this matter.”
On Oct. 16, Catholic football coach Keith Emery told The Observer about the investigation.
“I really can’t discuss an ongoing investigation,” Emery said then, “but what I can tell you is that we’re taking this seriously and will take whatever disciplinary and other action is necessary to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Catholic beat Butler, 34-14, on Oct. 18, winning its fifth straight game. The win secured the No. 1 playoff seed in the Southwestern 4A conference and at least a share of the league title.
It is not clear if any players involved in the disciplinary actions played in that game or if they were removed from the team this week.
Catholic (6-2, 5-0), which has won five straight games, finishes regular-season play Friday, playing at East Mecklenburg (1-7, 1-3). East Mecklenburg has lost two consecutive games.
After Friday, the Cougars will likely not play again until the playoffs begin Nov. 15, though the N.C. High School Athletic Association has allowed teams, under certain circumstances, to add an extra game to the regular-season schedule after the season was extended by a week to help accommodate Western North Carolina teams dealing with damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
Read letter from the principal
Here is a letter that Charlotte Catholic sent to school families regarding the investigation.
