SKANEATELES -- After weeks of headlines, the court case surrounding the Skaneateles football team's suspended season has ended quietly.
An attorney for the Skaneateles Central School District, Dennis O'Hara, says the case between the district and Section III Athletics was resolved a few weeks ago. Last fall, Section III suspended the team's undefeated season after allegations of recruitment violations by former head coach Tim Green. The district appealed the punishment, but a judge sided with Section III. The team was not allowed to play in the championship.
Even after the season was over, the district continued to fight the suspension, saying Section III's decision to suspend the season was made in violation of open meeting laws, its own rules and regulations, and was "arbitrary." The district wanted to make sure this penalty would not create more concerns in the future. Prior offenses are taken into consideration when deciding penalties, which means a more severe punishment could be issued if there are any violations in the future.
O'Hara says with the resolution to the case, the district reserves the right to challenge this penalty later. That means the case is over for now, but if Skaneateles faces any penalties in the future, the district could resurrect its challenges.
Head coach Tim Green resigned in the middle of the controversy last fall.
