© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Parents Demand Answers After Champion Rifle Team Gets Left Out of School Yearbook

Parents Demand Answers After Champion Rifle Team Gets Left Out of School Yearbook

"This is a high school issue."

Parents at a Pennsylvania high school are demanding answers about why the school's award-winning rifle team was left out of the yearbook.

Some parents from Emmaus High School in Lehigh County gathered at a school board meeting Monday wanting to know why the undefeated, championship-winning rifle team's picture was missing and didn't appear alongside other teams and clubs, according to WFMZ-TV and pointed out on TheBlaze blog.

emmaus high school Parents of students on the rifle team at Emmaus High School are demanding answers as to why the team's accomplishments were not included in the yearbook. (Image: East Penn School District)

Republican school board candidate Chris Donatelli and two other parents said they were "disappointed" when they saw the team's accomplishments were not highlighted.

"This board, this administration and the East Penn School District staff all claim they are here for the students," Donatelli said at the meeting, according to the Lehigh Valley Express-Times. "I come to you tonight to ask that all put their money where their mouth is.

"Produce and provide to these students an amendment packet to the yearbook highlighting this tremendous accomplishment by they and their fellow students," Donatelli said.

After the meeting, Donatelli told WFMZ it could have been an oversight or more political decision given the recent gun control debate, reinvigorated by the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last year.

“I’d hate to think it would be that,” he said of the latter option. “We’re just trying to get answers.”

A photo was taken of the rifle team by the professional yearbook photographer last year, featuring its 21 members and adviser. The students reportedly held their rifles in the photo.

Here's more from the parents' perspectives from WFMZ:

Parents said Andrew Moxey, the high school’s yearbook advisor, suggested that Herb did not turn in the picture on time. They said that angered Herb, who told one of them: “I’m really upset. I feel like I got thrown under the bus.”

The parents said Herb told them the rifle team photo was one of the best he took for the yearbook. He’s offered to send it to all rifle team members for free.

Donatelli said some families purchased the yearbook even though their children have not yet graduated, because they fully expected the rifle team’s accomplishments would be in it.

He said parents trying to find out what happened first contacted Dennis Ramella, the high school athletic director, “who claims no involvement. Mr. Herb says he fulfilled his requirement and Mr. Moxey, to date, has not come back with a satisfactory answer.”

Rochelle Bachman, the mother of a junior rifle team member, said she did not yet receive a photo of the team, even though after contacting Herb, she was told it had been sent.

Superintendent Thomas Seidenberger didn't reveal much after the meeting, telling WFMZ, "This is a high school issue."

Featured image via Shutterstock.com.

--

[related]

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?