“We’re extremely apologetic,” An MPS district leader said about the paperwork oversight that led to WIAA sanctions against the two high school football teams
“We’re extremely apologetic,” An MPS district leader said about the paperwork oversight that led to WIAA sanctions against the two high school football teams
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“We’re extremely apologetic,” An MPS district leader said about the paperwork oversight that led to WIAA sanctions against the two high school football teams
The football seasons are sacked for two Milwaukee Public Schools high schools.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sanctioned both Bay View and Pulaski High School football teams after MPS failed to file the necessary paperwork with the WIAA.
The WIAA forced the two teams to forfeit their 2024 season games and banned them from the playoffs this year and next.
The district told WISN 12 News Wednesday it appealed the punishments, but that the appeal would not be heard by the WIAA until after this year’s football season.
“It’s tough because there isn’t a recourse right now for this season,” Lynn Greb, senior director for Milwaukee Recreation, said.
Parents WISN 12 News Reporter Kendall Keys spoke with blamed MPS central office for fumbling the paperwork.
“MPS needs to do better time and time again. They dropped the ball and the kids are the ones that suffer,” James Prince, whose son plays for Bay View High School, said.
“We’re extremely apologetic for what happened. I wish we could, you know, go back in and make sure the proper paperwork got filed. But I’m saddened for how people feel about it all. We feel the same way,” said Greb. “We are investigating that and we’ll follow up according to our procedures and policies to make sure that this doesn’t happen in the future.”
Greb oversees the district’s office of interscholastic athletics and academics. It was their job to file the paperwork to re-align the schools in different divisions.
Some Milwaukee Common Council members blamed the MPS commissioner of interscholastic athletics & academics, Bobbie Kelsey, for the oversight.
“It’s not the kids, it’s not the schools, it’s not the principal or anything of that nature. It falls on the commissioner Bobbie Kelsey,” Milwaukee Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr. said.
“Do you think that’s the case?” WISN 12 News Reporter Kendall Keys asked Greb.
“Well, I’m not going to comment on specific personnel matters, but what I will say is that we’re certainly looking into how this happened, and we’re going to do what we need to do to make sure that in the future that we don’t miss these kind of requirements,” Greb said.
The season ends this week for the Rams and the Redcats, even if they win their final games. It’s a gut punch for the players.
“We did all that for nothing,” Dayshon Milons-Mccall, who plays for Bay View High School, said.
The WIAA did not agree to an interview with WISN 12 News this week.
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