BG halts junior high basketball season
Remainder of boys’ games canceled following allegations of ‘hazing’ incident
Bishop Guilfoyle Academy has canceled the remainder of its junior high boys basketball season, confirmed by both the school and the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference in statements provided to the Altoona Mirror on Monday.
The team played its final game on Dec. 17 with the ‘A’ squad beating Bald Eagle Area, 46-32, to improve the Marauders’ record to 5-0.
According to an account told to the Mirror, a “hazing” incident led to the suspension and eventual cancellation of the season. That account also claimed a coach was removed from the program, which has not been confirmed to the Mirror by Bishop Guilfoyle officials.
“Due to recent events, Bishop Guilfoyle administration has made the difficult decision to cancel the remaining games of the season for our BG junior high boys basketball team,” Bishop Guilfoyle Principal Michael Cacciotti said. “Sports is a privilege, and BG maintains high standards for each team and participant. Accountability for these standards is important. We believe life lessons are learned through both success and adversity and are confident that our students will learn, grow and succeed in the future.”
Calls to the Mirror questioned whether the cancellation came from the conference, which was denied by the LHAC and confirmed by the school.
“The suspension of the program had nothing to do with the LHAC,” LHAC chairman Scott Close wrote in an email to the Mirror. “We were informed by an email that it was an internal decision.”
Bishop Guilfoyle athletic director Joe Landolfi confirmed the decision was made by the school.
“It was an internal decision,” Landolfi said. “It had absolutely nothing to do with the Laurel Highlands.”
Landolfi sent the following to his fellow LHAC athletic directors after the decision was final.
“ADs, good afternoon, I have a situation,” Landolfi wrote. “Bishop Guilfoyle Academy has made the decision to cancel the remainder of our junior high boys basketball season. It is not a decision we made lightly. I’m sure you can appreciate the fact that I cannot delve into the reasons behind the situation. I apologize, but I control only what I can. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any further clarification.”
Landolfi confirmed that Bishop Guilfoyle Academy plans to resume the junior high boys basketball program next season.
“While this is an unfortunate situation, it reflects the school’s commitment to maintaining a respectful and responsible environment where students can grow into successful young adults,” Cacciotti said.