Code: KA-1
DISTRICT SPORTING EVENT CIVILITY POLICY
It is the intent of the school board to promote mutual respect, civility and orderly conduct among district employees, parents, spectators and athletes while at district sporting events. It is not the intent of the school board to deprive any person of his or her right to freedom of expression. The intent of this policy is to maintain a safe and sportsmanlike environment where spectators are encouraged to cheer for their team in a way that demonstrates respect for officials, coaches, athletes and game personnel.
1. Expected Level of Behavior:
* School and district personnel will treat parents, students and other members of the public with courtesy and respect at all times. Parents, spectators and members of the student body will treat coaches, administrators, officials, athletes and other district employees with courtesy and respect at all times.
2. Unacceptable/disruptive Behavior:
* Disruptive behavior includes, but is not necessarily limited to: behavior which interferes with or threatens to interfere with the safe operation of a sporting event.
* Using loud and/or offensive language, swearing, cursing or a display of temper.
* Threatening to do bodily or physical harm to a coach, school administrator, school employee or student, regardless of whether or not the behavior constitutes, or may constitute, a criminal violation.
* Damaging or destroying school property.
* Using verbally abusive language towards a coach, administrator, official, athlete or game personnel.
* Any other behavior that is unsportsmanlike in nature.
3. Authority of School Personnel:
* Authority to direct persons to leave school premises at a sporting event:
Any individual who (1) disrupts or threatens to disrupt a school event’s operation; (2) threatens, or attempts to do or does physical harm to school personnel, students or others; (3) threatens the health or safety of students, school personnel or others; (4) intentionally causes damage to school property or the property of others; (5) uses loud or offensive language. Such people may be directed to leave the school or school controlled function by a school’s principal or assistant principal, athletic director, or in their absence, a person who is lawfully designated as in charge of the school event or any district level administrator, including the Superintendent of Schools. If the person refuses to leave the premises as directed, the administrator or other authorized personnel shall seek the assistance of law enforcement and request that law enforcement take such action as is deemed necessary.
4. Penalties for Removal from a District Sporting Event:
A) Students:
I. First Offense:
A student who is asked to leave a school sponsored sporting event due to inappropriate or unsafe behavior will be issued a Saturday detention and will be suspended from attending any Noble High School and/or Noble Middle School athletic contest, either home or away, for a period of six (6) weeks. The six (6) weeks must be while a sporting season is in progress and therefore the suspension will carry over from season to season. For example, if a student is asked to leave a game in the winter sports season and there are three (3) weeks remaining in that sports season, then the student would also be excluded from attending any Noble athletic contests for the first three (3) weeks of the spring season as well. For the purposes of this policy, the sports season will be defined using the M.P.A. sports season dates. Any actions that are judged to have significantly endangered the safety of others by a student while at a school sponsored sporting event may result
in action taken by law enforcement, and a longer ban on attendance of school sponsored events may be issued at the discretion of the school administration.
II. Second Offense:
A student who is asked to leave a school sponsored sporting event due to inappropriate or unsafe behavior will be issued two (2) Saturday detentions and will be suspended from attending any Noble High School and/or Noble Middle School athletic contest, either home or away, for a period of one (1) calendar year effective on the date of the notification of the suspension.
B) Adults:
I. First Offense:
Adult spectators who are asked to leave a school sponsored sporting event due to inappropriate or unsafe behavior will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Penalties include, but are not limited to: a warning, a temporary ban on future attendance, or a permanent ban on future attendance. Those adult spectators who are deemed to be a safety risk will be issued a no trespass citation from the local law enforcement authorities.
II. Second Offense:
Adult spectators who are asked to leave a school sponsored sporting event due to inappropriate or unsafe behavior for a second time will be issued a permanent ban on future attendance of any Noble School sponsored events and will be issued a no trespass citation from the local law enforcement authorities.
C) Staff Members:
I. First Offense:
Staff members who are asked to leave a school sponsored event due to inappropriate or unsafe behavior will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Staff are expected to behave as positive role models at all times.
Adopted: October 6, 2011
Revised; January 21, 2016
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