Jacksonville, FL — UPDATE: 3:55 pm, 11/8/17: Sources tell our partner Action News Jax that Fruit Cove Middle School Head Coach Jonathan Calhoun plans to resign and the team's playoff game is back for 7 p.m.
ORIGINAL STORY: A day before a scheduled playoff game, the Fruit Cove Middle School football team has been dissolved.
The St. Johns Middle School Athletic Association President says incidents took place on Monday, and subsequent complaints surrounding the team throughout the season led to the decision last night.
“This decision wasn’t made by the school district, but rather the association. It was our decision based on the continued complaints we have received from parents, volunteers, and school representatives, that have made it clear that the Fruit Cove Middle School Football team was not acting in a manner in which the association could dutifully abide by its agreement with the school district”, said Justin Palesotti, Executive Board President.
“It is always a difficult and regrettable decision when it involves kids. Right or wrong, it never feels good to make a decision that will have any affect on a student athlete. This is no different”.
Palesotti shared multiple emails from the parents of the girls soccer players who complained about disrespectful behavior of football players and coaches on the practice field Monday.
Parents were planning to protest the decision Wednesday morning.
“No formal explanation was given to me or any other parent. The association did not take into account the middle school needing the field for practice due to the playoffs”, said Scott Schlueter.
“The coaches of the football and soccer team expressed words on the field due to the double booking and now the kids playoffs and chance at the championship were disassembled. No formal investigation was conducted, and the principal of the middle school spearheaded this disassembly”, Schlueter said.