Plano ISD Apologizes After Football Team Storms Field
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PLANO (CBDFW.COM) - School officials in Plano are apologizing after a football team stormed onto a field early, nearly running down the opposing team's band. It happened in the middle of a halftime performance.
Now some parents are calling for action after what they call an act of blatant disrespect.
Members of the Plano Senior High School color guard were still making their way across the field Friday when players from Plano West charged the field practically running over some of them.
"These two girls were sitting against the fence just in tears," Tracy Praestholm said.
As a member of the band's booster cabinet, Praestholm checked on some of the members shaken up by the incident. She says one girl even suffered bruising, but fortunately paramedics found no serious injuries.
"It just seemed like a blatant display of lack of respect to me. It was kind of like, the timing's done. It's time for us to go. If you guys are still here, you better just get out of our way," Praestholm said.
In a statement released by Plano ISD, a spokesperson wrote, "Administrators and athletic personnel take full responsibility for the Plano West football team's premature reentry onto the field at the close of halftime."
The statement went on to read, "Apologies were extended immediately following the incident and we now extend apologies to the greater Plano ISD community..."
But Praestholm says those apologies aren't enough to assure her and other parents that their children will be protected in the future from something similar happening again.
"Sometime down the road, it could be something that's not just, oh boys will be boys kind of stuff. It could be somebody being really hurt," Praestholm said.
In that statement, the district said teams will work harder to manage sideline activity. Praestholm says she'd like to see an apology come directly from Plano West's football coach. A spokesperson for Plano ISD tells us they will continue to address any individual complaints from parents.
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