Sachem Supt. Issues Apology After Students' Apparent Inappropriate Display During Football Game Against Floyd

LAKE RONKONKOMA, NY — Sachem Central School District officials addressed a brewing situation from Friday night's football game at North High School against William Floyd school community after students there apparently waved offensive signs.

Photographs circulated on social media showed at least two different students holding up posters that allegedly featured images of the girlfriends of Floyd football team's players. The images sparked an outrage in the Floyd community, and some parents called for a group to attend Sachem's Board of Education meeting on Wednesday night.

Neither school district previously commented for Patch.

A spokeswoman for the Suffolk County Police Department also told Patch that it did not appear that a report was filed documenting the incident.

A public relations representative for the Sachem School District provided a statement to Patch Tuesday night that was distributed to the Sachem community on Tuesday morning.

In the statement to the Sachem community, Superintendent Patti Trombetta said, "As many of you are aware, an incident occurred at our Friday night football game against William Floyd," adding, that "we take the concerns raised about the signs displayed by some of our students very seriously."

"The messages shown do not align with the respect and sportsmanship we expect from our student body, and this behavior will not be tolerated," she continued.

Trombetta went on to say that "it is the district's responsibility to support our students while holding them accountable for their actions and helping them understand the impact of their choices."

"As a Sachem community, we sincerely apologize to the William Floyd community for any hurt caused," she said. "Moving forward, we will continue to reinforce the vital importance of sportsmanship, respect, and responsibility."