Sports
'Sexting' Forfeiture Costs Baseball Seniors Scouting Chance
School officials pulled Evanston Township High School's baseball team from the regional playoffs amid allegations members of the team were sending indecent photos of high school girls via text message.
On the eve of regional playoffs at Evanston Township High School, the athletic director told parents in a letter that the baseball team would forfeit the season, following allegations that players were sending indecent photographs via text message.
The Wildkits were set to play Taft High School in the first round of regional playoffs Friday at ETHS, but the season is now over for good. Taft will instead play St. Pat's in the championship game Saturday, May 25, at ETHS, which is hosting the playoffs.
Athletics director Chris Livatino and communications staff at ETHS have not yet returned voicemails and emails from Patch. Evanston Police Cmdr. Jason Parrott said that the incidents did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation, and directed further inquiries to school officials.
Parent Angel Delgado, whose son played on the team last year and had since graduated said school official "were right in suspending the program."
Still, he said, "they're still a little bit wrong, because if it was one or two people who actually put out the pictures...they should have suspended those guys...not the whole team."
Delgado said the forfeiture would impact seniors most, given that college scouts typically attend the playoffs, looking for recruits.
"Everybody who's everybody is going to be here," he said. "It's a tough situation for the seniors."
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