Prep Athletes Aren't Public Figures...Even If You're Bored

EHS Uproar...Practically Speaking
High school athletes aren't public figures.

High school athletes shouldn't have off-court actions described in detail in public forums.

It's 2009 and people use the Internet any, ol' way they want.

My 13-year-old son begins his interscholastic sports experience as a 7th grader knowing that the only way to make sure he never has to defend himself over making bad decisions away from his sports is ... to make sure he makes good decisions.

I hate the idea of a Eureka High basketball star being raked over hot coals by jealous and spiteful critics for something that has nothing to do with sports. But, it's obvious he mad a decision at some point that provided his attackers with ammunition and...boy...have they used it to get after him.

Nobody's perfect. But, starting the minute you get on the court or on the field in the school's uniforms...in this day and age...you damn well better know that being anything except as close to a perfect citizen as you can be is asking for trouble.

If you don't do anything wrong, you can't get knocked for doing something wrong.
Posted by Ted Sillanpaa at 1:55 PM 0 comments
Eureka High Basketball ... Uproar
http://www.topix.net/forum/source/eureka-times-standard/T4HFJQM0L14OIQJKS

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The link goes to a Times-Standard Topix thread that began in response to the game story following St. Bernard's boys basketball win over Eureka High. It turned into a forum about the conduct of some Eureka High basketball players...on and off the court. One of the parents, apparently, got involved to defend his son. And, I can't blame the man, since his son is accused by anonymous sources of criminal activity.

Somebody involved in the conversation threw up a post asking for me to comment. I'm honored that somebody would think I might have something to add to a conversation that took on the most negative, vile tone of any I've read result from a sports story up there.

I don't think high school athletes are public figures. Just because Eureka High sports star Greg Allen is a sports star, and headed to play in college on scholarship, doesn't mean he's different from any other 17-year-old minor. There are all sorts of allegations and people swear, anonymously, that there was activity that the police responded to in some way or another.

Whether criminal activity took place or not, we agree to protect the identity of those under age 18 who are even accused of breaking the law. If a media outlet did opt to report on the allegation that a girl was physically abuse, no names would be used because the media protects the identities of minors.

The Topix comments are very specifically mentioning the athlete, and some of his teammates. I cited the libel laws in a brief post Wednesday because, honestly, if my son was being dragged through the mud in a Media News Group forum -- I'd file a lawsuit against Media News Group. It's not the Times-Standard's fault or the fault of Media News that the athlete's being called for criminal activity -- and various other transgressions I won't repeat here. But, we can't sue anonymous posters...so, the only way to address personal attacks in a public forum is by suing the folks responsible for providing the forum.

A poster, who remains anonymous, insists the allegations are true...that the father acknowledged there was an "incident." I don't care. The player's a minor. There are allegations that are a lot more pointed and vile than simply referring to an "incident." I think we need to stand up and try to change the course these public forums are taking before they become even more out of control.

Question the kid's jump shot...question his ability to play in college...question Eureka High's coach...that's fair and harmless and, actually, at the root of why sports fans enjoy sports. But, to drag an alleged incident involving a minor girl into the forum? And, then to read people trash the kid anonymously...with no avenue to get to the truth through actual reporting? That's unacceptable.

High school athletes didn't start making bad decisions at the dawn of the Internet age. Generations of athletes have gotten busted smoking dope or driving drunk or fighting in the parking lot ... and been dealt with by coaches and administrators without the public knowing anything about it.

I don't think the public has a right to know how Eureka High's coach, who I've always found to be a fine, honorable, upstanding man, dealt with problems within his team. It's not the public's right to know why players were kicked off a team in 2004 or why no players were kicked off in 2008.

I do feel like the public has the right to try to find out the answers to questions about the conduct of the players on or off the court. The public can call school administrators and ask them to explain why the athlete is still playing despite being involved an "incident" involving the police. Because...the coach and the administration are bound by laws that prevent them from treating high school students like public figures. If people really wanted to know what's been done to address what they see as problems...they can call Eureka High...have the folks there say they can't talk about such things...and...that's it.

What? Eureka High should suspend an athlete because of an alleged "incident" that apparently drew no criminal charges? How would that be fair?

Folks can call the police and ask about the "incident" and the police won't comment. The Times-Standard reporters could push to get answers and try to do a story -- but the story would have no substance. No one can comment on an "incident" allegedly involving two minors. It's not news for public consumption...even if making it a public affair embarrasses the star of the Eureka High basketball team and his family.

The general public in small towns across America has been trying to tear down well known high school athletes since high school athletics began. The Internet just allows the public an amazing easy way to simply trash people I consider kids.

This isn't the first incident involving a prominent Humboldt-Del Norte League sports star. It won't be the last. I hope it's the last time the court of public opinion puts a minor on trial in a public forum.

I was surprised that the athlete's father, apparently, got involved in defending his son in the Topix forum. Getting in the pit with the folks throwing mud and throwing it back didn't do anything but make things harder on the son. That's just my opinion, though, and I'd never presume to tell a dad how to protect his son.

It's unclear what people hope to gain from making such a big deal of the player's off-court actions...but, there's no story...nobody's done anything except follow the rules in allowing him to stay on the team, etc.

Just because a 17-year-old is a great athlete doesn't make him a public figure, nor does it remove from him the legal protection people his age are provided.