Cahokia High School cancels football tailgates after alcohol complaint
Cahokia High School has canceled its football tailgates until further notice amid allegations that alcohol has been present at the school-sponsored events.
The district posted a letter announcing the decision on its Facebook page Thursday afternoon after Illinois High School Association Assistant Executive Director Sam Knox sent an email to Principal Anson Mitchell and Athletic Director Roscoe Dowell. The email detailed the allegation, adding that it is against Illinois law and IHSA rules to have alcohol on school property during events sanctioned by the school.
Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. said District 187 hasn’t had an issue with alcohol at the school’s tailgates, but is canceling the tailgates while it re-evaluates its policies.
“Right now I am taking a clear look at our set-up, procedures, protocols, everything, because we want to make sure that we remain within the boundaries of the law and don’t condone or participate in any behaviors that could compromise the safety of our students, integrity of our athletic programs or our relationship with the IHSA,” McCall said.
Knox’s email names Nicole Johnson as a concerned parent who lodged the complaint with the IHSA. Knox confirmed that he notified Mitchell and Dowell of the complaint and that he had spoken directly to Johnson on Tuesday.
“In my opinion, this issue is between Cahokia High School and the IHSA,” he told the Belleville News-Democrat Thursday afternoon.
Johnson does not have children attending Cahokia schools, but is a former district employee and lives in the community. She said she contacted the IHSA after the school board failed to act on earlier complaints from other parents, but McCall said the school board had never received any complaints about the tailgates. She also said McCall and School Board President Marius Jackson appear to organize the tailgates.
Johnson said she sent the IHSA flyers posted to social media advertising the tailgates, which include images of McCall and Jackson. She also forwarded a link to Jackson’s Facebook page that includes a video promoting Comanche football. One scene shows a man in a red shirt holding what looks to be a Bud Light can.
“These events are family events and it’s unprofessional to have leaders engaging in this kind of behavior when they’re supposed to lead by example,” Johnson said.
Jackson did not return a request for comment.
McCall said the school-sponsored tailgates are sanctioned by the school board, and are not organized solely by him and Jackson. The tailgates started at Cahokia High about three years ago as a way for alumni and community members to support the team over hot dogs and burgers, he said.
Individuals are scanned with a security wand before entering the tailgate area — just as they are before entering games — and their bags are searched, so “nobody should be in that area with any unauthorized items,” McCall said.
He said the video Jackson posted on Facebook showed scenes from an earlier home game against Lift for Life Academy.
Often, fans park on the street, outside the school’s fence, and on the city’s property to watch games, McCall said. He said while he doesn’t know for certain, the man holding what looks to be a beer can appears to be outside the tailgate area. McCall said he does not know this man, but assumed he was a Lift for Life fan given his red attire.
Johnson also objected to being named in the district’s announcement that the tailgates were being suspended, and said she feels she’s being retaliated against for publicly supporting the teachers’ union in their ongoing contract negotiations with the district.
“Not only is it retaliation, it’s intimidation,” Johnson said. “I feel attacked.”
When asked why McCall included Johnson’s name in the announcement, he said he felt he needed to explain what led to the decision.
“I think the public needed to know where this came from,” McCall said. “I wasn’t going to allow them to say that I was canceling (the tailgates) just to cancel them.”