By By PAUL DUNN
Managing Editor
A Northside High School student and former member of the school’s baseball team told the Daily News Wednesday that four players on the current Northside baseball team were suspended as a result of a recent incident on an activity bus.
According to a press release issued Wednesday by Beaufort County Schools officials, interim Superintendent William Rivenbark canceled the remainder of the Northside baseball season after several members of the team threw baseballs out the windows of an activity bus after a recent away game.
The baseball team was returning from a trip to Roanoke High School the night of May 4 when the incident occurred, the release indicated.
According to the student — who said he knows current members of the baseball team — three players were suspended for five days and one for 10 days.
He added that one player faces an expulsion hearing for throwing a baseball that injured the driver of an 18-wheel truck. The student said the same player had thrown objects from bus windows in the past but had never been disciplined for it.
School-district officials on Thursday refused to confirm or deny the student’s account, responding by e-mail: “Beaufort County Schools will not discuss student discipline.”
District officials also refused to say whether Northside Head Baseball Coach Keith Boyd or any other coaches would be disciplined.
When queried if the school or district was doing anything to prevent similar incidents in the future, officials responded by e-mail that “it is our hope lessons are learned from this situation.”
According to Capt. Kenneth Watson with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred about 11:40 p.m. on U.S. Highway 264 near Everett’s Crossroads.
Watson said one person was injured by shards of glass to the face when a baseball damaged a vehicle, and added that his office is still working to determine if a crime has been committed and to identify suspects.
No arrests have been made, and the sheriff’s office is actively investigating and conducting interviews, Watson said. Sheriff’s office investigators were unavailable Thursday to comment on the matter.
The Northside baseball team was scheduled to play its final game of the season May 7 at Southside High School.