WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioCardinal Mooney officials meeting with police on alleged post game celebrations

Cardinal Mooney officials meeting with police on alleged post game celebrations

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown's police chief and prosecutor will meet with the Catholic schools superintendent on Friday to discuss the alleged champagne and cigar celebration by Cardinal Mooney football players.

The Diocese asked police to investigate after reports surfaced that parents may have provided champagne and cigars to players after they won the state championship.

Winning the Division III State Football Championship was cause for celebration by the Cardinal Mooney football team. But as high school students, this is not the kind of celebration school officials and law enforcement officers found acceptable.

Four football players can be seen on video smoking cigars on school property, and there are reports that parents provided champagne for the team's locker room celebration.

The Diocese did an internal investigation and turned it over to police.

"We did find out that there is enough evidence to indicate that we needed to have a full investigation by people who are trained to do investigations. We're educators, we're not detectives," says Acting Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich.

Wolsonovich has been involved with Catholic schools for more than 30 years, and he's never encountered this kind of situation.

"I have never seen where we've had what we understand the possibility of alcohol being brought onto the school grounds by parents. And that's what we have to find out."

The four students seen on camera smoking cigars were suspended for a day. The rest of the team joined them in the suspension in solidarity.

But the punishment may not be over yet. If it's found that parents did give the teens alcohol, they could be charged with providing alcohol to minors, a first degree misdemeanor with up to six months in jail.

Providing tobacco to minors is a fourth degree misdemeanor with up to 30 days in jail.

And if any coaches or school officials were in on the partying, Dr. Wolsonovich says they will take appropriate action.

There was a celebration planned for Friday to recognize the football players for their big accomplishment. But because of everything that's going on, the Diocese has decided to postpone the celebration until after the new year.