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Penn Hills team skips match with Connellsville after WPIAL ruling about armed guards

PENN HILLS, Pa. — The Penn Hills Girls volleyball team decided not to go to their match against Connellsville Wednesday night after the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League ruled Connellsville did not break any rules by bringing armed guards to games with rival Penn Hills.

Before the team even voted, the district administration gave the OK.

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Channel 11 obtained a copy of the letter the WPIAL executive director sent to Penn Hills. It said the board had a lot of discussion and local of debate before ultimately determining that Connellsville’s actions are not breaking any rules.

Tensions between the two districts began when Penn Hills boys soccer players claimed they were subjected to racial slurs while playing at Connellsville.

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The WPIAL investigated and found those claims credible, but ultimately not proven.

After that, Connellsville sent at least one armed school police officer to three games at Penn Hills.

Penn Hills Superintendent Nancy Hines told Channel 11 it wasn’t a practice she had ever noticed before and believed it was introduced in light of the recent matters and found it culturally insensitive.

She asked the WPIAL to intervene.

The WPIAL found that Connellsville has sent armed officers to games and therefore did not “single out” the Penn Hills School District and that a number of WPIAL schools do the same. The WPIAL also said it didn’t appear Penn Hills attempted to "amicably resolve" its concerns with Connelsville.

Channel 11 also obtained a letter the Penn Hills superintendent sent to families.  In the letter, she maintained the viewpoint that this was a newly introduced practice and says she is disappointed.

She also said in the letter that the district is going to let individual teams consult with families and decide whether or not they want to continue playing Connellsville.

"Then they brought it to a girl's volleyball match," said Jay Mitlo, head coach of the girl's volleyball team. "There's no threat from a girl's volleyball team. There's no history and two events already happened where there was no need for security."

The team is preparing for a match tomorrow.

The decision not to play Wednesday night won't impact their chances of going to the playoffs.

 

Cox Media Group

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