The Overton County School System has cleared the Livingston Academy Boys Basketball to play its first game of the season Tuesday night after the conclusion of an hazing investigation.
Overton County Director of Schools Kim Dillon said the decision comes after the completion of both a local DA investigation and the federal Title IX investigation. Dillon said she never intended to cancel the entire season.
“I don’t feel like cancelling the entire season would have been the right answer either,” Dillon said. “So I mean, there’s not really… I don’t know if there is a right answer in this situation.”
Dillon said she has made a decision on disciplinary actions for the students involved, but could not disclose what the actions are. It is not known who will play on the team.
Dillon said the school system will take steps to make sure similar incidents do not happen again.
“We have talked about a lot of different ways to supervise to make sure that there is supervision in locker rooms, and just having discussions and talking with kids and educating kids on all of it,” Dillon said. “Obviously, there are gonna be times when we can’t be everywhere, but maybe if we can continue to educate and have those conversations with kids that it will make a difference.”
With rumors about the incident running rampant on social media, Dillon said the school system will offer counseling support to the team.
“We have offered a lot of things for the players as far as counseling, any type of help that they might need,” Dillon said. “They are constantly checking on them, and we are in hopes that as they begin that this is going to pass and we are going to be able to move forward.”
The Livingston Academy Boys Basketball team will travel to Jackson County High School on Tuesday for its first game of the season.