Graduation cigar saga involving HS lacrosse team boils as school officials, barbs family lawyers

A Massachusetts high school boys lacrosse team lost its state semifinal earlier this week after photos surfaced online of six team members allegedly smoking after graduation, in violation of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s tobacco policy.

One of the affected students spoke to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, saying the cigarettes are fake. This student said that cigarettes are made from tea leaves because they know the law and they do not want to endanger the team going to their “Final Four” game.

But in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital on Friday, Ipswich High School superintendent Brian Blake and principal Jonathan Mitchell denied those allegations, adding that they want to ensure an “accurate account” of what happened is presented to the public.

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On Monday morning, June 8, the day after high school graduation, the school saw two photos on the Internet of six lacrosse players who appeared to be smoking cigarettes. The statement says that only one of the two photos has been released to the media.

“The second photo – which was allegedly not given to the media – showed a cigarette smoking heavily; a cloud of smoke surrounding one of the students; and a firelight visible in the hand of one of the students,” the statement read.

“Immediately after reviewing the photos, the District discovered that the photos were posted on the Facebook page of one of the players’ parents. Based on the mandatory MIAA Chemical Health policy, which is also included in the Ipswich Student-Athlete Handbook, school administrators began an investigation, including interviewing the students involved and/or their parents and giving them an opportunity to explain what happened.”

READ HERE THE SCHOOL’S FULL STATEMENT:

The student involved told Fox News Digital in an earlier interview that his father, John Gianakakis, called a tobacconist in Ipswich and asked for fake cigarettes so the kids could follow the tradition of smoking after graduation.

When the school investigated, administrators were told the cigarettes were “fake,” containing chamomile and English tea instead of tobacco. The authorities were shown a receipt from a local grocery store, where the cigarettes were purchased.

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Ipswich High School in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The school’s boys lacrosse team lost in the state semifinals after nine players were ruled ineligible following the graduation ceremony. (Google Maps)

The school’s statement said the receipt supporting the fake cigarette claim had a date and time.

“When District officials met on the morning of June 9 to review the evidence they had received, it was found that the cigarettes were not actually ‘fake,’ as they had been told. As noted, another photo showed smoke and electricity, and that the cigarettes were much shorter than those in the first photo. In addition, the photos had been removed from the Facebook page, which was suspected to be tea time. It is over,” the statement read.

Upon seeing the soiled receipt, management concluded that there was a violation of the Chemical Health policy and proceeded to notify the families of the six players that they were suspended. The school’s statement also added that days later, following a media “uproar” over the story, Mitchell went to the store to see if the receipt could be reproduced in an effort to confirm the original date of purchase.

During that trip to the store, Mitchell allegedly discovered that a fake cigarette receipt had been purchased 20 minutes after the families were notified of the potential violation on Monday.

The school’s statement also pointed the finger at the students when the money was taken.

“Rumours of the team ‘going away’ started to spread and three players said they refused to play, along with their suspended teammates. This left only 11 players available to play in the Semifinal match which requires ten players to be on the field at any time (subject to being the “low man” for penalties),” the statement read.

The principal, the athletic director and the coach then discussed the situation, and are said to have allowed the players to vote. The players were defeated in this game which was honored by the district according to the school’s statement.

A student involved told Fox News Digital that the group was on the bus when they first heard about the suspension and that, when they first got on the bus, they thought they would be allowed to play. The concerned student said “everyone was shocked” and “we really didn’t know what to do.”

The concerned student said the final decision comes from Blake, the superintendent.

Attorney John Gianakakis, one of the parents of the students involved, gave a statement to Fox News Digital in response to questions about officials’ claims that the cigarettes were not “fake” and that the students were responsible. The statement says that Blake is suspected of being biased against the school’s athletes.

The statement added that Blake served as “judge, jury, and executioner,” moving “at lightning speed.” The statement accused Blake of retaliating for an incident that occurred early in the lacrosse season.

READ THE FAMILY’S STATEMENT HERE:

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Massachusetts school officials denied Ipswich boys lacrosse claims about fake cigarettes in a statement. (Photos by Geoff Stellfox/NCAA via Getty Images)

“Earlier this year, Blake came under scrutiny when he was seriously injured in a lacrosse game where both personnel and equipment shortages were part of the public’s criticism,” the lawyer’s statement read.

“What makes that part of the story interesting is that the lack of safety equipment and an AED in the game is more important than the kids taking a picture. But that was swept under the rug and they took their sweet time dealing with that. Lacrosse parents want accountability, and there’s a perception in town that Blake is doing this without accountability and revenge against the idea team.

The statement called Blake a “bitter” and “angry” man who yelled at children, and said their analysis of the statement “sounds like an episode of CSI.”

The school said it fully understands the “disappointment, frustration and emotions” that came with their decision, calling it heartbreaking but adding that they are still determined to implement their policies consistently.

The lawyer’s statement also blamed Mitchell’s own son who was seen celebrating his graduation with a cigarette.

The attorney said they look forward to the day when Blake is “no longer allowed authority or power over young people” and said Mitchell’s “hypocrisy and bias have no place in a reasonable society.”

Mitchell, asked by Fox News Digital to comment on the attorney’s statement, responded, “I missed the part where he admits he made up the whole story.”

In an additional statement to Fox News Digital, a lawyer for the Gianakakis said many of the allegations in their statement appear to be “not supported by the facts” and asked for more evidence.

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A lacrosse stick and ball are sitting on the field. Ipswich High School lost the MIAA Division 4 state semifinal after nine players were ruled ineligible following the graduation ceremony. (Stock)

Fox News Digital has reached out to Blake’s office for comment in response to an attorney’s statement. His office responded with its first statement.

The Ipswich boys lacrosse team was undefeated before being stripped.

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