Athletic code needs revision to ban all initiations The Stevens Point Area School District has plenty of problems after school improvement referendums lost in November and earlier this month. Yet it needs to turn its attention to its athletic code and make hazing an offense punishable by permanent suspension from the team. The need for the punishment is dictated by a federal lawsuit that the insurer for the school district settled out of court last week for $7,000. That lawsuit stemmed from the suspension of five football players for two games last fall after a paddling incident as a form of initiation onto the football team. That initiation had apparently been going on for years. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. The lawsuit alleged that the school district violated its own athletic code when the superintendent ignored the athletic director's recommendation for disciplining students through community service. The School Board was correct in stepping in, despite all the legal complications. The lawsuit also indicated that football team members had held initiations in the past, and punishment was less severe than game suspensions. The paddling incident may have been innocent enough, but the initiation is hazing, which is a criminal offense. That law was created after initiation rites got out of hand, leading to severe injuries and deaths. Favoritism for athletes has long been a complaint in schools. Athletic competition is an important and beneficial part of schools, keeping many students on the straight and narrow toward graduation. Yet schools need to remove those signs of favoritism, winning isn't that important. An initiation is often demeaning to individuals and not administered with the same regard to everyone. The school district needs to stamp out initiations immediately. One way, without repercussions or appeals for leniency, is to ban them entirely. Then a coach can warn the team that the practice will result in expulsion from the team for the season. And the players will know the consequences before they decide to do something. That will also jeopardize the coach's job if steps are taken to cover up or minimize the situation. Students attend school to learn, not to further their athletic endeavors, although some may see that as a goal. To avoid problems in the future, the school district needs to prohibit initiations for athletic teams. Permanent suspension is a cut-and-dried remedy. Students on a team will know the score before the season begins. – Gene Kemmeter