The nation’s opioid problem just sacked a high school football team’s season.
Geneseo High School in New York state forfeited the rest of its schedule after allegations arose that several players popped OxyContin, a highly addictive pain killer, before a game on Sept. 22, WKBW reported this week.
Police allege that one player swiped the pills from a parent without knowledge and gave them to a half-dozen or so teammates ranging in age from 15 to 16, the station noted.
Felony charges for distributing controlled narcotics on a school campus could emerge in the case.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it’s aiding in the investigation. One of the alleged participants is related to a police force member.
“Due to the sheer number of student-athletes involved and the serious nature of this incident ... the remainder of the varsity football season will be forfeited,” Geneseo Central Schools Superintendent Tim Hayes wrote in a statement earlier this week, per the Livingston County News.
At a press conference later, he expressed regret that innocent players ― some of whom reported the drug use ― would suffer too. The number of players dismissed from the team made it impossible to continue, he said.
In the game in question on Sept. 22, Geneseo defeated Bolivar-Richburg, 26-24, to even its record at 2-2, but that victory will be forfeited as well.
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