Update: N.S. football players suspended from all athletics to ‘err on side of caution’

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NORTH SMITHFIELD – New – if sparse – details have emerged regarding the reaction by school administration to an alleged incident of hazing by members of the North Smithfield High School football team, including a letter sent directly to the players’ parents from Supt. Michael St. Jean in which he explains that the students are prohibited from all school-based athletics until an investigation is complete.

“We understand how important participating in athletics can be,” noted the letter signed by St. Jean. “However, given the serious nature of the allegations involving players on the football team, we must err on the side of caution in order to protect all of our students.”

The details follow the news first reported by NRI NOW last week that all of the team’s games, practices and workouts had been suspended pending investigation of a hazing incident that reportedly took place during the 2021/2022 school year. According to a second note sent to parents in the district Friday, school administration first received information about the incident on Monday, June 20, and a multi-agency investigation is now underway, with plans for the school department to conduct its own inquiry following law enforcement.

District officials have remained largely silent on the incident, save the notes sent to parents. According to Mike Rebello, host of Can We Keep It Real?, a podcast focused largely on local youth and high school sports, football coach Jeff Paiva was scheduled to appear on the program Friday, just after the news broke, but cancelled stating all information must come through the superintendent’s office.

The 2021/2022 season, which ended 1-5, was Paiva’s first as head coach of the Division III team, a co-op with Mount St. Charles Academy.

Paiva did state that he, “would not tolerate that type of behavior,” according to Rebello.

North Smithfield police sent out a press release confirming that they are working with the school department and the attorney general’s office.

:As this is an ongoing investigation no further information will be released at this time,” noted the release.

A spokesperson for the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office commended St. Jean on his swift action in reporting the incident to that state entity, along with the North Smithfield Police Department and the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Anyone with information that could be pertinent to the investigation now underway is asked to contact Det. Gregory Chito at (401) 762-1212 ext. 225.

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