Cheltenham High School Football Hazing

On Friday, Oct. 17, the Cheltenham superintendent announced the suspension of the football team’s season.

The school district started an investigation after there were reports of abuse in the football locker room. Multiple players had allegations against them. On October 19th, parents got a second email regarding the season being canceled.

The district says the allegations surfaced three weeks ago. When the district received the allegations, it reported them to the Cheltenham police department.

The district thought the situation was isolated to an individual at first, but throughout the investigation, it was found to be a more of a broader type of abuse throughout the football program.

According to ABC Action News, parents were frustrated with how the situation was handled. “If our kids are here and there’s been an incident of hazing going on, why weren’t we notified at that point?” said Chowan Cowans of Elkins Park, “If they’re so concerned about our child’s safety.”

Parents also questioned the district’s decision to cancel the season for all players. Why should the actions of a few players punish all of the players? Why should the actions of a few students impact the entire team’s season?

The suspension of the football team’s season also affects not just the football team’s season but the band, cheerleaders, and other clubs that run along the football team’s schedule.

The district is now looking for ways to recreate senior night for students not involved to try to limit the punishment for people not involved in the incident.

The question remains throughout the community if the punishment was too harsh for the entirety of the team and community due to a few players’ actions.