A disturbing video posted online shows a Kalamazoo Central High School football player jumping on top of a Lakeshore High School player as a play concludes.
STEVENSVILLE, Mich. — A Kalamazoo Central High School junior varsity football player is being disciplined following a video of him injuring an opposing player during a football game in Stevensville last week.
On Thursday, Sept. 18, Courtney Mims shared a video of her son being injured during a JV football game between Kalamazoo Central High School and Lakeshore High School. The disturbing video shows a Kalamazoo Central player jumping on top of her son, Colton, as a play is concluding.
The Kalamazoo Central player is seen knocking Colton down during the play, then getting up and jumping on top of him while he’s lying on the ground. Mims said in a Facebook post that the injury to Colton is “believed to be slight fracture on the spine.” Mlive later reported that Colton’s spine was broken in two places, and he is currently recovering at home.
Following the incident, Kalamazoo Central High School said in a Facebook post that the student was being punished.
“The behavior was addressed, and the student has received consequences consistent with the Kalamazoo Public Schools Student Code of Conduct and in compliance with MHSAA regulations,” the post from school administration read.
The school administration called the student’s actions a “poor choice,” and added that it does not represent their football program, coaching staff or school values.
“An incident that occurred during the recent JV football game does not represent our football program, our coaching staff, or the values of our school community. This was the action of an individual student who made a poor choice, acting on a social media video not connected to our team or coaches,” the post said.
Mims provided an update early Monday morning, saying that some Kalamazoo Central players personally messaged with apologies, saying they didn’t stand behind the player’s decision to jump on Colton.
The “consequences” for the student who was filmed jumping on Colton were not given by the school.
“These are young people still learning and growing and they deserve to be treated with dignity, even when a poor decision has serious consequences. Lives were changed in a single moment, and I am devastated that a child was injured. There must be accountability, there must be consequences, and there must also be room for learning, healing, and moving forward,” the Kalamazoo Central High School principal wrote. “We are a community. We do not tear down children in public forums. I ask that we all rise above, support both families, and set an example of the kind of world we want our students to build.”