This story was updated on Oct 11.
In Friday’s morning announcements, Principal Brent Kline addressed the Paly student body to detail consequences following the varsity football game at Gunn on Sept. 10.
Due to poor sportsmanship and student behavior at the game, Paly was required to pay a fine and will face sanctions issued by the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for California high school athletics.
Kline said the league banned Paly students from attending the school’s next two football games, including the upcoming one against Menlo Atherton on Sept. 24. However, an exception was made for the following week’s homecoming game against Homestead on Sept. 30.
Kline also said league representatives may observe the homecoming game to ensure Paly’s “bad behaviors have left.”
Possible additional sanctions, including the forced withdrawal of Paly sports in CCS playoffs, will ensue if inappropriate spectator sportsmanship occurs at any future Paly sporting events.
Sanctions will be finalized by next week and could remain in place throughout the entire school year for all sports.
Paly will also begin to regulate football games further. Kline said new student section boundaries will not allow students to sit in the front aisle or stand near the railings, and bag checks and breathalyzers will possibly be used for students perceived to be under the influence of alcohol. Students who do not comply with these rules will be banned from future events.
Before spirit week began, ASB members also faced harassment as a result of these recent changes, with some students pressuring members to advocate for keeping spirit week traditions.
“[ASB] has become targeted by some of our students and bullied,” Kline said. “This type of behavior must stop.”
However, he said spirit week activities, such as rallies and dress up days, would tentatively follow through as usual. Details for the homecoming dance have not changed either.
During spirit week, the number of lunchtime rallies were reduced from five to three.
Kline urged students to not participate in ‘egg wars’ this year in order to prioritize student and community safety.
“Raw and frozen eggs have the potential to cause serious injury and already have over the years,” Kline said. “Illegal substances usually frequent the same event.”
Kline said criminal vandalism is unacceptable in all circumstances, and students and their families will be held accountable for any property damage that occurs.
Kline said, “It’s time to stop and put an end to the egg war vandalism and its inappropriate student behaviors at events by channeling our energies into a positive direction.”
Egg wars did not take place during spirit week.
At the homecoming game on Sept. 30, all students were breathalyzed and bags were checked before entering the game. Students were instructed to stay away from the railing and to remain on the bleachers.
Assistant principal Erik Olah said that student behavior was overall positive at the game.
“From what I saw tonight, I think our students did a pretty good job,” he said. “We just had to give a few reminders about small little things here and there.”
Olah also said he believed the healthy sportsmanship at the game signaled a return to normalcy at Paly.
Olah said, “Over the years that I’ve been here, our students are very often well-behaved. I just think we needed some reminders and I think we’re growing from it.”
Ronna Devincenzi • Sep 20, 2022 at 2:42 pm
Principal Kline is quoted as saying, “This is not the Paly I know…”, but then he goes on to describe the ways where it most definitely IS the Paly he knows.
Let’s take a look at the ways in which he has seen it before, and in his own words.
1- Poor sportsmanship and student behaviors, calling it overall “bad”, resulting in not only upcoming Football events being monitored by the League, who became involved, but also, “Sanctions…could remain in place throughout the entire school year for all sports.”
Sanctions for ALL sports? Talk about excessive! A gross over-reaction.
2- Bad behavior at sporting events warranting bag-checks, potential use of breathalyzers, and special seating? WHOA!
3- ASB students being “targeted and bullied”, saying the “behavior” he labeled “harassment” needed to stop.
School just started. What he described must have only happened from September 10th to the 16th. Seven days. It’s hardly a pattern. Or is it?
4- “Criminal vandalism”, due to the egg wars that have, in the past, caused serious injuries; and the use of alcohol and or other “illegal substances [that] usually frequent the same event.”
My take:
What he describes, from history, does not put Paly High Students in a good light. But it sounds exaggerated. I think everyone needs a reality check, remembering that what’s being addressed is ONE football game, where ONE (very large) group of bleacher people showed poor judgement and crossed a line.
Personally, and from an objective point of view, I think Gunn High’s student body should be asked to weigh in on these “consequences”, most especially their FOOTBALL team players, and coaches that were directly affected by this. In fact, they should have the last word.
I trust that Gunn High’s students will be fair. I may be wrong. But, for some reason, I’d trust them. The League’s services ought *not* to be further needed.
Regarding the Paly ASB — I assume those people are elected, and their purpose is to SERVE the rest of the student body.
Asking for Spirit Week activities to go unhindered is neither harassment nor bullying. Rather, it is TRAINING *high school* students to be able to address City Council’s, Boards of Supervisors and even State and Federal elected officials, in a few scant years. I applaud them for speaking up. As for the ASB folks, it’s part of the job. Toughen up.
Regarding “egg wars” — it’s a bad idea. That tradition needs to stop. First, it’s a waste of eggs, secondly, if it hits cars or has already hurt people, then students themselves may decide to nix it, forever. Civil society cleans up its own messes.
We are talking about high school students here. Tomorrow’s LEADERS; we need LEADERS in our society, we have enough followers: those too scared to stand out, or those emboldened by the power of numbers, going along to get along. Enough already.
That Sept. 9th game is an incredible learning experience. Use it, to achieve great good. Will Campanile reporters be interviewing the Gunn team? I hope they do.