The Lethbridge School Division has provided an updated statement on Chinook High School, in relation to an alleged incident that occurred in October. (Photo: LNN)

By Justin Goulet

Lethbridge School Division provides update on Chinook High School

Nov 20, 2023 | 8:30 AM

Warning: This story may contain information that may be disturbing to some.

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge School Division has provided an updated statement on Chinook High School, in relation to an alleged incident that occurred in October.

The Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) reported that on October 3, 2023, a 16-year-old boy was allegedly assaulted in a locker room at the secondary school in west Lethbridge, after regular school hours. Police reported that the incident involved members of the school’s football program.

Four suspects were later charged with sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon, and unlawful confinement. The four charged are all under the age of 18, therefore cannot be named due to provisions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

On October 23, it was announced that the 2023 football season would be cancelled at the school.

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On November 17, a statement from the school division was released.

It reads as follows:

“The past six weeks has been a difficult time for the Chinook school community and Lethbridge School Division. In early October, a serious incident occurred at the school, which was followed by widespread media coverage and social media attention. This has deeply impacted many members of our community.

We continue to respond to these challenges and have started to focus on healing together. We believe an important part of the healing process is to provide our stakeholders with an opportunity to better understand the many positive attributes of the Chinook school community and to clarify misunderstanding.

As a school, Chinook has always been and remains a vibrant, diverse and inclusive school community that is passionate about growing and learning. The students and staff at Chinook are deeply committed to becoming the best versions of themselves. The school remains focused on its vision of creating a learning community where all members know their why, aim for growth and take ownership.

In recent weeks, members of the football team, coaches and even families of players, have been targeted for hurtful and misinformed accusations and harassment. Anyone involved in this type of behaviour needs to stop immediately. We acknowledge that as a Division we struggled to respond to the widespread attention and misinformation this incident generated, especially through social media. We are disappointed this misinformation has been used to negatively impact how members of the football team are perceived and we apologize we were not able to do more to stem the tide of misinformation. We believe these young student-athletes should not be defined or judged based on this incident.

It is important to understand this incident is not a reflection of the values of the individual members of the football team, or the program. It should be known that one of the foundational values of the football team at Chinook involves community service. Over the past few years, the football team has regularly participated in a variety of volunteer projects inside and outside of the school. Even as their season has come to an end, the players continue to engage in volunteer opportunities. We hope that our extended community will be able to see the positive contributions members of the football team have made and continue to make.

The decision to end football activities for the 2023 season was not based on an assessment of the values or culture of the football program. It was based on the need to address the impact this incident had on our entire learning community. This had to be accomplished prior to the team returning to play. Ultimately, as we worked towards a return to competition, it became evident that we did not have enough time to fully respond to this complex and evolving incident before the deadline of a playoff game. Offseason football activities have resumed, and we look forward to the 2024 Chinook Coyote football season.

We understand that students at the same school can have very different experiences and reactions to incidents such as this. We know the way the season ended was incredibly difficult for members of the football team and we sincerely apologize for the hurt this decision caused for players, coaches, parents and supporters of the program. We also know that many students and staff not involved with the football team were negatively impacted by this incident and again, we recognize the hurt this has caused.

As a Division, we continue to examine how we support our students in creating and maintaining respectful and inclusive environments in all schools. We are committed to furthering our understanding of the role social media and technology play in amplifying the negative impact of serious incidents. We are also assessing how the Division can respond more effectively to these types of challenges in the future.

Thank you to all those who have reached out with offers of support and empathy. We will need your continued support and understanding as we work together towards healing and growth.”

Many community resources are available for individuals needing support, including:

• The Chinook Sexual Assault Centre – 403-694-1094 (the centre supports those who have experienced sexual violence)
• Lethbridge Family Services – 403-327-5724
• AHS Mental Health – 1-877-303-2642 or this this link: AHS
• Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868 (text 686868)