Accompanied by a police officer, the principal of Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School told journalists standing on the public sidewalk outside the school Wednesday that they cannot set foot on the property.

Reporters have occasionally attended Don Bosco’s football games and practices in recent years to observe and speak with the Eagles’ coach, Mayor Rob Ford. The media presence has increased since the revelation last week that Ford aides who are paid by taxpayers help to manage the team using a city-owned car and cellphones.

Principals have the legal authority to order people off school property for any reason. But it is rare for members of the public to be denied access after school hours.

“We don’t understand why a high school principal would want to involve himself in preventing Toronto media from following up on a continuing story examining the allegations that the mayor is misusing taxpayers’ money,” said Star Editor Michael Cooke. “Watching a football practice or game with other spectators is not intrusive or distracting to the players or staff involved.”

Catholic school board spokesperson John Yan said the board is “trying to be fair to everyone” but that its priority is to protect Don Bosco students. Principal Ugo Rossi is not involving himself in the controversy, he said, simply defending “the safety and privacy of our kids.”

Reporters at Don Bosco have sought to interview Ford and his aides, not Eagles players. But the board is concerned that players have become peripherally involved in the political drama after their practices.

Players surrounded a smiling Ford to shield him from reporters as he walked to his car in the school parking lot after a practice last week. Players also escorted Ford aide Chris Fickel out of Tuesday’s practice.

“Both things shouldn’t happen — media shouldn’t be surrounding (Ford’s) car every time he leaves practice. And the fact that the kids get put in the middle of it is unfortunate as well,” Yan said.

“We are attempting to have a conversation with the mayor and his staff to deal with the fact that media is around,” he said.

Rossi referred repeatedly to a board policy he said bars reporters from school property during practice. Yan has also told reporters this week to stay off the property during practice, but no detailed policy currently exists. He said the board will come up with specific rules by Thursday.

Don Bosco is sometimes the only place where City Hall reporters looking for answers to political questions know they can find Ford. Ford conducted a memorable media scrum at the school last year after he was accused of speaking profanely to a 911 operator.

From the sidewalk outside the property, it is not possible to see the licence plates on vehicles in the parking lot. It is also difficult to identify the people on the far end of the field. Yan said reporters can use binoculars or other methods.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Fickel attended Tuesday’s practice in a city-owned sedan even as Ford himself toured Chicago. No staffers were present at Wednesday’s practice.

There were, however, nine people on the field who appeared to be helping to coach. When Ford was asked last week why he had skipped most of an executive committee meeting to coach the Eagles at a pre-season scrimmage event, he responded, “If I’m not there, the kids don’t play.”