According to a recent report, five youth football players in New York faced the harsh consequence of being banned from their league. These children, aged between 8 and 11, found themselves booted out of the Washingtonville Wizards Youth Football and Cheer League last week. Simultaneously, their board member parents were also expelled from their positions. The league's 11 remaining board members had taken this decisive action in November after a series of heated arguments that led to code of conduct violations.

Parents' Allegations and the Aftermath

The now-expelled families had allegedly raised concerns about coaching styles, team management, playing time, and how bullying on the teams was being handled. Nicole Berhau, for instance, claimed that her 10-year-old son Nolan had been bullied throughout the season to the point of feeling "made to feel less." However, before Nolan was kicked off the team, the league had wrongly pinned the blame on him. Berhau expressed her determination on Facebook, stating, "Nolan was bullied and made to feel less than practically all football season and when I decided I had enough and wanted to get rid of the person(s) responsible for making a 10-year-old boy feel unwanted, the s–t show began." She further emphasized that she cared more about her innocent son than her position on the board. "I don't care about anything that happened regarding my position on the board. What I care about and will continue to care about is Nolan. He 100% doesn't deserve to be removed from the WYFCL and asked not to ever come back," she said.

League's Response and Actions

The league, located 65 miles north of Manhattan in Orange County, took a firm stance by voting to ban not only the five players but also the four families and a 13-year-old volunteer cheerleading coach because her mother was expelled. A letter sent to the parents read, "Please be advised that our Officers have unanimously voted and that this message will serve as a formal notification that you and your family are hereby released from our program and you are no longer league members of Washingtonville Youth Football and Cheerleading Inc." This decision was met with various reactions. Berhau expressed her dread in telling her son that he would no longer be playing in the league he had been a part of for the past five years. She even challenged the league officials to personally inform her son of his expulsion. "So all of those brave enough, why don't you come and look Nolan in the face…. Let him know he is no longer welcome to be a Wizard and tell him WHY. If you can bring yourself to 'release' him, than you can have the uncomfortable conversation with him," she added.

Legal and Governing Body's Stand

The 17-town, county-wide governing body found that none of the players had broken any rules or the code of conduct. In a Cease & Desist letter obtained by the outlet, the league's lawyer urged the parents to cease their inappropriate behavior and refrain from unnecessary contact with the WYFCL. Despite facing backlash for the move, WYFCL President James Ferrazzano defended the decision, stating, "This decision was not taken lightly. Our commitment remains to uphold the integrity and well-being of the organization, and we believe this action was necessary for the continued success of the WYFCL and all those involved in its programming."