A Michigan high school has come down hard on a football player who jumped on a smaller opponent during a game and fractured his spine, in an act caught on video.
During a junior varsity game on Thursday between Kalamazoo Central High School and Lakeshore High School, a large player from Kalamazoo Central jumped on a player from Lakeshore who was lying on the ground.
The mother of the injured 15-year-old player says her son suffered a spinal fracture in two places.
“Our staff has been speaking with both schools since Friday. Kalamazoo Central has taken this matter very seriously and they have taken strong and decisive action,” the Michigan High School Athletics Association (MHSAA) told Fox News Digital. “Due to student privacy laws, we cannot disclose the specific accountability actions, but they have exceeded what MHSAA regulations would otherwise require in cases of dangerous and unsportsmanlike behavior.
“Our schools can provide additional details as they decide to do so, since they are handling things internally.”
Kalamazoo Public Schools characterized the player’s action as an “egregious act” in a statement to Fox News.
“An incident that occurred during Kalamazoo Central High School’s Junior Varsity football game on Sept. 19 was the action of an individual student who displayed an egregious act against a player on the opposing team.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity that Kalamazoo Public Schools expects from student-athletes, coaches, and the entire school community,” he statement said.
“Following a play, a Kalamazoo Central student body slammed a Lakeshore student who was laying on the ground,” Lakeshore Public Schools Superintendent Greg Eding wrote in a letter to staff and families. “This incident was an intentional, unprovoked, and flagrant violation of the rules and appropriate sports conduct and resulted in an injury to one of our Lakeshore student athletes.
“We wish the Lakeshore student a speedy recovery, and we are in regular communication with his family regarding this matter. We also have put in place supportive measures to ensure our student athlete can continue his education while he recovers.
“The incident, which was captured on video and shared widely on social media and across media outlets, is totally unacceptable and has no place in student athletics. The superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools has apologized for the incident and applied serious disciplinary consequences to their student athlete consistent with its student policies and code of conduct.
“Following the incident, both varsity teams came together before their game on Sept. 19 to say a prayer for the injured student in a showcase of sportsmanship and compassion.”
In an interview with WSBT-TV, the injured player’s mother, Courtney Mims, relayed the sense of panic she felt in the moments following the incident.
“As soon as it clicked that it was, I couldn’t be stopped. I had to go down there. I’ve never felt anything like it. I’ve never been as upset or shaken up as I was over something for my son,” she told the station.
“These boys are high school boys. They’re 15 years old. The game means a lot to them. It’s their whole life right now. They’re there from before I get up to go to work in the morning till after dinner, putting in the work, and for somebody to try to take that from somebody doing so much is awful for me to see.”
The injured player is expected to make a full recovery.
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