INDIANAPOLIS -- Center Grove schools issued a letter to parents on Monday addressing an incident over the weekend where one of their students is accused of taunting a student who suffers from epilepsy on the opposing team during their game against Cathedral High School.
During a basketball game Friday night, James Franklin Jr. was taking a free throw shot when a kid fell on the floor and started shaking like he was having a seizure, James Franklin Jr.'s mom, Tamieka Franklin said.
READ | Cathedral High School basketball player taunted during game
Franklin suffered from multiple seizures and was on up to 11 different kinds of medication until he was able to have surgery to help control his seizures, according to his mother.
Center Grove said the student involved has met with Cathedral High School's athletic director and has apologized for the way his actions were perceived. The student says he did not know Franklin suffered from epilepsy and he was trying to "flop like a fish."
"As you know, children don’t always understand the potential perceptions and implications of their actions. As parents and educators, we can view these kinds of situations as opportunities to teach our students how to show respect for others and consider the consequences of their actions at all times," the district said in a letter to parents. "Our students are children who need to learn from their mistakes, not be defined by them."
Video of the incident was posted on a social media fan page run by parents but was later taken down after the parent who posted it was made aware the controversy surrounding the action.
You can read the full letter to parents below.
Center Grove Faculty, Staff, and Parents:
Many of you are aware of the reports of disparaging behavior from the CGHS student section during Friday evening’s boys basketball game against Cathedral. In an instant, a hard-fought victory, great evening of basketball, and the image of our community were tarnished. But more important was the impact left on the Cathedral student-athlete at the focus of these reports. The student-athlete has battled seizures from epilepsy. This is a life-threatening condition that this student has fought to overcome. Information about the disease can be found at Epilepsy.com.
The reports state that students in the crowd mocked the student-athlete about his seizures and that one student acted out a seizure on the floor. This occurred in the second quarter of the game. That student says his intention was to “flop like a fish” to distract during a free throw. He has said he was not aware of the student-athletes condition until after the game when he was approached by the athlete’s father. He apologized to the father at that time. The administrators monitoring our students did not hear any references to seizures. However, the student-athlete has said he heard those comments and believed the flopping on the floor was mocking him. We take all allegations seriously and are continuing to investigate who may have made those comments.
Video of the student’s behavior on the floor was posted on a CG basketball fan page, touting the team spirit and enthusiasm. This page is owned/administered by parents/community members. The parent who made the post deleted it as soon as he was made aware of the perceptions of the student-athlete.
As you know, children don’t always understand the potential perceptions and implications of their actions. As parents and educators, we can view these kinds of situations as opportunities to teach our students how to show respect for others and consider the consequences of their actions at all times. This situation does not represent our school or community values. It certainly doesn’t reflect the behavior of the majority of our students or their families.
Moving forward, we encourage our fans to cheer for our teams, not against individuals on opposing teams. Our students must be clear that Center Grove does not condone any behavior intended to mock, disparage, or humiliate.
Mr. Henderson and his administrators have been working this weekend with Cathedral’s administration to move forward after Friday’s game. As recently as Sunday evening, Mr. Henderson, along with Athletic Director Jon Zwitt and the CGHS student at the focus of the behavior met with Cathedral’s principal and athletic director to discuss what happened. The student apologized. While it does not erase the impact of the situation, it does provide a starting point to move forward. Our students are children who need to learn from their mistakes, not be defined by them.
Sincerely,
Rich Arkanoff, EdD, Superintendent, CGCSC Jeff Henderson, Principal, CGHS Scott Alexander, Carol Tumey, Rob Daniels, Adam Norman, Jack Russell, CGCSC Board of School Trustees
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