SANDPOINT, Idaho – Parents were removed from a junior varsity football game at War Memorial Field in Sandpoint, sparking a debate over seating arrangements and school protocol.
The incident involved parents from Lake City High School moving to the home team stands during the game against Sandpoint High School. Dan George, one of the parents involved, explained his perspective.
“I said, you’re not going to trespass me from anything we have done nothing wrong. We were cheering,” George said.
George mentioned that the move was due to the hot weather and lack of shade on the visitor’s side.
“It was hot. There wasn’t any shade. And the opposite bleachers looked amazing,” he said.
However, the move led to tensions between the two groups of parents.
“It then became very apparent that that parent was over here to be confrontational and tell us to shush down our cheering,” George said.
The situation escalated, leading to the involvement of law enforcement. Administrators asked the visiting parents to return to their original seats, citing a district policy.
“The administrator came over and started saying that we needed to go over to the visitor’s side of the field, and he cited a policy,” George said.
The Pend Oreille School District stated that the incident could have been avoided if the visiting parents had complied with the seating arrangement. They explained their decision to call the police.
“The parents did not comply, so our administrator followed through by calling the Sandpoint Police Department to maintain peace and order for our student athletes,” the district said.
In response, the Coeur d’Alene School District emphasized the importance of providing a safe and welcoming environment for future events.
Both districts are working together to ensure that future games at War Memorial Stadium are safe for all attendees.
