New Ulm discipline criticized

40 students suspended over event misbehavior

By Tanner Kent

NEW ULM — Administrators and parents are trying to reconcile after boisterous crowd behavior during a volleyball game caused the punishment of more than 40 New Ulm High School students two weeks ago.

Since the home volleyball contest against Fairmont on Oct. 22, in which students apparently used profane and derogatory chants and threw coins on the court, parents have leveled accusations against administrators who, some believe, dispensed punishment too widely.

Last week, during the second of two community meetings to air complaints about the way suspensions were handed out, administrators defended their actions by saying student conduct at the game went “over the limit” and that similar behavior had occurred at previous games.

Parents, including Tim Loose, said they weren’t condoning the actions of their children but faulted the district for not having clear consequences ahead of time and for reacting in “knee-jerk” fashion after the fact.

“For the kids who misbehaved, there should be consequences,” said Loose, whose son was among those suspended. “But just not all in one group. ... Respect for the individual has been lost in all of this.”

In the days after the incident, school administrators reviewed video footage and student accounts. They suspended about 40 students for two weeks from participating — as spectators or players — in school district and Minnesota State High School League activities.

Supt. Harold Remme told parents during the second meeting that the district’s decision would not change. But he acknowledged shortcomings in communication and said the district will invite parents and students to join an effort to prevent future confusion.

“Kids will be kids,” Remme said, “but sometimes our kids have gone over the limit. ... We would like to invite representatives of parents, students, staff and administrators to sit down and work on some guidelines for appropriate sportsmanship.”

The two-week suspension period ended Friday. Several students missed their last football game and the beginning of the hockey season.

Loose said his son, who was among those who missed the football team’s last game of the season, left the volleyball game before the student section was ejected. According to Loose, several suspended students have similar stories of being “lumped in” with the crowd, even though their behavior

didn’t contribute to the profane comments and chants that continued even after the arrival of police officers.

Kevin Merkle, a State High School League associate director who oversees officials in all sports, said he was not familiar with the specifics of the situation but was aware of a growing concern among officials regarding the behavior of New Ulm’s student section.

“My understanding,” Merkle said, “is that this was not a one-time deal.”

Merkle said officials and referees are trained by the league to work with game managers and school staff to address unruly behavior.

Merkle said officials have the authority to eject fans and also, in some sports, to call fouls on the crowd. But game officials are told to “never confront a fan directly.”

For that reason, Merkle said, it’s important for school districts to have supervisors on hand to address crowd situations. He also said the expectations and consequences for behavior are largely determined by school districts themselves.

“You can really see at the state tournaments which schools have administrators that have worked with the student body,” Merkle said. “Student behavior is a constant challenge. All our activities are educational and one thing we teach, hopefully, is how kids should behave in public.”

Remme said district officials want students to continue being passionate about school activities and that they look forward to working with the community to “move forward.”

Loose said he wants to see clearer communication between the school district and its parents and students. He also said that all parties need to “own their behavior” and set an example to students on how communities should react in times of disagreement.

“What better learning opportunity for our kids then to get this right?” Loose said.