Former Hampton Bays Football Player Says Athletic Staff, Superintendent Should Resign

A former Hampton Bays High School football player is calling on Hampton Bays football coaches, the district's superintendent and athletic director to resign. He also wants them to publicly apologize.

In a letter sent to the school district on Wednesday, Letcher O. Johnson said that the situation that caused his former team to forfeit their last game is a disgrace.

"This unsupervised tragedy has now ended the high school careers of many fine boys with great potential in an unthinkable fashion and may damage the college prospect of those lucky enough to have been scouted and for this there is no way to make amends," he said. "To better serve the student athletes of the Hampton Bays School District it is imperative that the Varsity Football Coaching Staff, the Athletic Director and the Superintendent of Hampton Bays School District immediately resign their positions."

On Nov. 1, Hampton Bays forfeited a game against Greenport High School as a disciplinary action related to "dangerous and unbecoming conduct," according to the school district, which would not release any specific details. 

Superintendent Lars Clemsensen only said that an investigation is ongoing and the district is taking appropriate action.

A Nov. 13 article on 27east, however, reported that one player was seriously injured in the high school locker room when a prank went wrong — a player was hit it the head when teammates turned out the lights and started throwing things.  

It is the second recent locker room incident at an East End School  —  Also, last month the Southampton High School team forfeited a game after a two students were caught holding another player down and then pretended to perform a sexual act on him, according to 27east.

Clemensen did not immediately respond to a call for comment on Johnson's call for resignations.

Johnson's Letter:

This neglectful situation that ended the 2013 Hampton Bays High School Varsity Football Season is a complete disgrace. To better serve the student athletes of the Hampton Bays School District it is imperative that the Varsity Football Coaching Staff, the Athletic Director and the Superintendent of Hampton Bays School District immediately resign their positions.  

This school district is now in the crosshairs of potential very large lawsuits. You all have dropped the ball (Hampton Bays Varsity Football Coaching Staff, the Athletic Director and the Superintendent of Hampton Bays School District) and it is beyond belief the fact that you have let this dangerous mindless ritual happen over-and-over, week-in-and-week-out speaks for itself. Remnants of any of the current individuals in the above mentioned administrative or coaching positions will be a detriment the school and the program as a proven liability.

Fifty-plus years of hard work and sacrifice of fellow alumni who gave all they had to carry on the Hampton Bays Baymen Football tradition by competing most of the time against great odds has been severely tarnished by this dangerous and ridiculous weekly event.

This unsupervised tragedy has now ended the high school careers of many fine boys with great potential in an unthinkable fashion and may damage the college prospect of those lucky enough to have been scouted and for this there is no way to make amends.

Gentlemen, do the respectable thing: apologize to your team, apologize to their parents, then resign and release the Hampton Bays School District from this enormous liability.

I wish you all better days in the future.

Regards,

Letcher O. Johnson

Hampton Bays Alumni, former player