Two separate hazing investigations, both involving the Lisbon High (Maine) football team, led to the school's decision to suspend all football related activities, until further notice, on Oct. 4. As each week since has passed, Lisbon has announced forfeits of its games, one at a time.
Superintendent of Schools Richard Green put a final end to the team's season, on Monday, when he announced the team's season finale, scheduled for Friday, would also be forfeited. The pain may not end here, however, as the program was now facing a two-year ban for its varsity football program.
As reported by WMTW news in Maine, the Maine Principals' Association Handbook states that a team "will be prohibited from participating in varsity competition leading to postseason play in that sport for the following two years," if it fails to complete a game schedule submitted in Heal Point or Crabtree sports.
Should a decision to ban Libson be handed down, the school could appeal, requesting a waiver for extenuating circumstances, from the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee.
The Lisbon School Department, shortly after announcing the suspension of football activies, informed the school community that it had hired an "outside agency" to investigate the hazing incidents. That investigation has already led to seven players being removed from the football team. Last week, the Lisbon Police Department, which is conducting its own investigation into a separate alleged hazing incident involving the Lisbon football team, told WMTW that it has submitted its findings to the Androscoggin County District Attorney's Office for review.
WMTW received confirmation from District Attorney Neil McLean Jr. that it received the police report but failed to supply any further information in a statement.
"Unfortunately, at this time, we are not able to provide any further details," siad McLean's statement. "It is difficult to say when a decision will be made as we must ensure we have made every effort to review this matter to a just conclusion."
The school confirmed, as of Monday, no coaches has been suspended or fired as a result of the investigations.
Gary Adornato began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University, and in 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.
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