Katherine Klingseis

kklingseis@dmreg.com

Top administrators for the Des Moines school district unleashed a deluge of criticism toward Ames schools and high school sports officials Friday after being told to call off a football game.

Ames' superintendent and a top Iowa High School Athletic Association official said they thought it might not be safe to hold a game at Des Moines East High School because of published reports about possible violence Friday.

Des Moines police and district leaders said that those reports were baseless rumors, and school district representatives didn't try to hide their disdain for the decision.

"It's unfortunate our students are punished because people living north of here think they know more than us," said Phil Roeder, a Des Moines district spokesman.

"This is an insult to our students, our school and the entire Des Moines community," Superintendent Tom Ahart said in a prepared statement.

East lost over $10,000 in expected ticket and concession receipts. And, formally, East forfeited the football game and lost a chance to secure a playoff berth.

The dispute was set in motion Thursday, when school officials sent emails about rumors of a planned gunfight to East faculty, staff and parents. The emails quickly became public.

The emails, while emphasizing that there had been no credible threat, said there would be increased police presence at the school Friday.

Aware of those reports, Ames district officials contacted Des Moines officials and said they wanted to cancel the game, Ames Superintendent Tim Taylor said.

"Safety trumps," Taylor said. "The way we're really looking is that today would not be the day to go down to Des Moines to play a football game."

Ames suggested that the game be played in Ames on Friday (instead of at Williams Stadium in Des Moines) or rescheduled for Saturday. Des Moines officials rejected those proposals, Taylor said.

"Forcing East to play a game on the road with a few hours notice or on a Saturday with less than a day's notice lacks all respect for our students," said Tim Schott, the district's executive director of secondary schools, said in a news release. "Many of our students work on the weekends, in jobs that they need to help support their families, and Ames and the IHSAA are jeopardizing the well-being of those students by making such a rash and groundless decision."

The Ames school district then went to the athletic association, which oversees high school sports contests.

Todd Tharp, assistant director for the association, said it was "not going to force a school to go somewhere."

"We respect our member schools regarding safety and security aspects," Tharp said.

The association contacted the school districts and presented three options: East could host the game Saturday, play at Ames on Friday, or forfeit. Des Moines Superintendent Tom Ahart chose to forfeit.

"IHSAA's stance is disappointing and sets an insupportable precedent," Ahart said. "The reasons Ames and the IHSAA are basing their decision on are baseless." The district termed those reasons "unsubstantiated Internet rumors."

Police said Friday afternoon that nothing unusual happened during the school day at East.

Roeder, the Des Moines district spokesman, said police and school officials "did not see anything real behind the rumors" and believed there no reason to worry about safety.

Sgt. Jason Halifax, Des Moines Police Department spokesman, confirmed Friday that there had been no specific threat this week involving East. Instead, officials monitored generalized statements on social media that said "so-or-so may have a gun," he said.

No direct threats were made toward Friday night's football game or a specific student who would have been at the game, Halifax said.

He said it was disappointing the cancellation was a result of "basically social media trash talk."

Taylor said he regretted that the districts "couldn't work it out," but said he was comfortable with his decision.

Tharp said he couldn't recall a similar situation in his 10 years with the athletic association.

In 1995, a football game between East and Des Moines North High School was moved from Friday night to Saturday afternoon because of racial troubles at East and a fight during an earlier game between East and Des Moines Roosevelt.

Nationwide, it's not unusual for threats of violence to lead to the cancellation of high school games, although in many cases the host school prompts or supports the change.

On Friday, the Bloomington school district in Texas canceled a game because of a reported fight and a rumored planned drive-by shooting, the Victoria Advocate reported. The Bloomington superintendent made the decision.

The Pine Grove school district in Pennsylvania canceled a home football game and all other school activities in response to a bomb threat in September, the Pottsville, Pa., Republican Herald reported. No bomb was found.

And in Warren, Ohio, last November, a school district and local law enforcement decided to cancel a game because of threats on social media, the Vindicator reported. The newspaper's website said the tension was sparked by two killings in the city.

The Des Moines school district released a statement that it would try to appeal the association's ruling, although the mechanism for such a move isn't obvious. The football regular season ends next Friday. East will travel to Sioux City North, with the winner making the playoffs and the loser's season ending.

Tharp said athletic association leaders would have to discuss whether an appeal can be made since the school district chose to forfeit.

Friday's game was also set to be Senior Night for East High School. Roeder said officials will "find another night for Senior Night."

"We'll make sure the school can celebrate their kids," Roeder said.

Football ramifications

East's forfeit drops the football team's record in district play — the basis for postseason qualification — to one win and three losses. Ames improved to 2-2. The top four District 1 teams after next week's final set of games make the playoffs.

Ankeny: 4-0

Southeast Polk: 4-0

Ames: 2-2

East: 1-3

Sioux City North: 1-3

Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson: 0-4

The winner of Friday's game in Sioux City between East and Sioux City North will make the playoffs, while the loser's season will end. Ames qualified for the playoffs on Friday. Had East played and defeated Ames, the Scarlets could have wrapped up a playoff berth. Even if East makes the playoffs, finishing in fourth place instead of third would mean facing a stronger first-round opponent.

Northeast Iowa football team forfeits

A plan by some Dunkerton High School players to boycott a football game has prompted officials to forfeit the match.

District Superintendent Jim Stanton said Friday that some students decided to boycott the game to show support for another player who was suspended.

At a Thursday school board meeting, officials stood by a decision to impose an in-school suspension on the player because of his role in a fight. Another student involved also was disciplined.

Dunkerton, which plays eight-man football, will forfeit the game against Don Bosco High School.

Stanton said the decision to forfeit was made because of concern that with fewer players, those who did play would be at greater risk of injury.

Dunkerton is about 10 miles northeast of Waterloo.

-- Associated Press