Union High School Students Stage Walk-Out After Football Team Pulled From Playoffs Over COVID Outbreak
UNION TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — There was a mass exodus of students walking out of Union High School classes Monday morning.
The students are angry their varsity football team was forced to forfeit a state semi-final game because of COVID.
“The whole team was heartbroken. It was like they took everything we worked for away from us,” said senior Najee Pinckney.
The top-seeded Farmers were scheduled to play against Paterson Eastside last Friday, but they learned that morning Superintendent Scott Taylor canceled the game because four Union players had tested positive for COVID.
The team, led by four-star defensive back Davison Igbinosun, immediately sat down with Taylor to dispute the decision.
“We pointed out the contradiction he made that allowed the 22 negative players to go back to the school. Deeming it was safe enough to go back to the school but not safe enough to play the football game,” Igbinosun said.
As students protested outside of the board office Monday, Taylor told CBS2’s Christina Fan he stands by his call – but has appealed to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to reschedule the game.
“I’m absolutely not upset with the kids, they handled themselves with aplomb. I’m somewhat upset with NJSIAA… I’d really like them to reconsider,” Taylor said.
Fan reached out to NJSIAA Monday for comment, but a spokesperson directed us to their policy which reads “NJSIAA will not delay or modify any state tournament schedule for a team that cannot participate due to COVID-19 issues.”
“We fight through adversity all the time during the season, and this is just like another part of adversity,” Pinckney said.
The players say if football has taught them anything, it’s too always keep fighting.
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November 15, 2021 at 11:55PM
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