Mayflower Baseball Poster Showing Players with Guns Catches Heat
By: Josh Berry
Updated: March 8, 2013
Violence and guns in school is the focus and center of an argument about a poster placed in the hallways of the Mayflower School District.
A school administrator is under fire after approving a schedule with a picture of senior baseball players decked out in firepower.
The district and superintendent has agreed to take the poster down saying it's caused a distraction in their school buildings.
Parents of the kids involved and on the baseball team though say it's caused more distractions than inside those walls.
The Mayflower Eagle's Baseball team is focused on winning. Their 7-0 record says so.
Focus directed towards them lately turned to a poster.
"I thought it was semi harmless," said Scott Sewell. "It was about a sitcom on a tv show. The "A-Team."
Father and school board member Scott Sewell says the 2013 schedule spoofs the classic show featuring five seniors on the team.
"When I saw that I thought about the most recent school shooting that the Mayflower schools is promoting violence."
Debra Stubbs has nieces and nephews in the school district and worries about the message this could send to them.
The unmistakable coach of the team, Joe Allbritton says he approved it right before the Superintendent says he signed off on it as well.
They say no guns were ever present on campus and the picture was taken before the Sandy Hook shooting.
"It's no different than having a fake gun or a fake cigarette on the stage of a school play," Allbritton remarked. "It's just portraying life, part of our culture... rock and roll with it baby."
Stubbs isn't happy with either at the moment.
"He needs to be held accountable for his actions," she said regarding the Superintendent. "A lot of stuff that's going on right now and everything is so sensitive too. Why is the school educator making a decision like that? If he's making a decision like that about that issue, then what is he doing about the school?"
Parents, many of whom helped pay for the poster through booster club funds, say all this attention should be placed elsewhere.
Sewell explained, "It's not about a poster it's about the kids, the program and the job this coach is doing to me."
A school administrator is under fire after approving a schedule with a picture of senior baseball players decked out in firepower.
The district and superintendent has agreed to take the poster down saying it's caused a distraction in their school buildings.
Parents of the kids involved and on the baseball team though say it's caused more distractions than inside those walls.
The Mayflower Eagle's Baseball team is focused on winning. Their 7-0 record says so.
Focus directed towards them lately turned to a poster.
"I thought it was semi harmless," said Scott Sewell. "It was about a sitcom on a tv show. The "A-Team."
Father and school board member Scott Sewell says the 2013 schedule spoofs the classic show featuring five seniors on the team.
"When I saw that I thought about the most recent school shooting that the Mayflower schools is promoting violence."
Debra Stubbs has nieces and nephews in the school district and worries about the message this could send to them.
The unmistakable coach of the team, Joe Allbritton says he approved it right before the Superintendent says he signed off on it as well.
They say no guns were ever present on campus and the picture was taken before the Sandy Hook shooting.
"It's no different than having a fake gun or a fake cigarette on the stage of a school play," Allbritton remarked. "It's just portraying life, part of our culture... rock and roll with it baby."
Stubbs isn't happy with either at the moment.
"He needs to be held accountable for his actions," she said regarding the Superintendent. "A lot of stuff that's going on right now and everything is so sensitive too. Why is the school educator making a decision like that? If he's making a decision like that about that issue, then what is he doing about the school?"
Parents, many of whom helped pay for the poster through booster club funds, say all this attention should be placed elsewhere.
Sewell explained, "It's not about a poster it's about the kids, the program and the job this coach is doing to me."
