School District Makes Stand on Behalf of Palmdale High

Officials of the Antelope Valley Union High School District may be facing an uphill battle in their quest for what they call justice in the wake of the attack on two game officials during last month’s football game between Saugus and Palmdale.

The school district on Wednesday suspended Mike Warren, 18, and Keith Bennett, 16, from Palmdale High for the remainder of the semester for their involvement in the attack during the Oct. 13 Golden League game at College of the Canyons. Warren, Bennett and teammate Darius Wilson, 18, are awaiting arraignment Nov. 14 in Newhall Municipal Court on charges of misdemeanor battery. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.

The district postponed a decision on Wilson until Nov. 15. It also modified the decision by Palmdale Principal Linda Janzen to ban the athletes from interscholastic sports. Warren, a senior, will be allowed to compete next semester, and Bennett, a junior, will be allowed to compete next fall.

Bill Olenick, president of the district’s Board of Education, said the district has done its part for justice but that others have lagged. The district adopted a resolution objecting to the Golden League’s decisions to force Palmdale to forfeit the game to Saugus and to place Palmdale on probation for two years.

In addition, the district demanded that the Southern Section investigate charges that Palmdale players were subjected to racist taunts from Saugus players and game officials. Dean Crowley, a section spokesman, acknowledged that his office has received a similar request made by Janzen two weeks ago.

Saugus Coach Dick Flaherty and Brad Woolley, the official attacked by Wilson, have denied the charges.

But Olenick said that reviews of two videotapes of the game and signed statements from 12 people at the game convinced the district that an investigation was warranted.

“We will not make excuses or condone what our team did,” Olenick said. “But it appears there is clear evidence that our players received unfair treatment by the officials and (that) racial slurs were directed at Palmdale players. We’ve gotten verification from a cross-section of people at the game and there is consistency to the statements, so an investigation is warranted.”

Saugus Principal Mike von Buelow, who also serves as the Golden League president, said that he has received no information to warrant any investigation. In addition, the league rulings on the forfeiture of the game and probation against Palmdale will stand, he said.