DAGSBORO, Del. - After being under investigation for an appearance in a local television advertisement, the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association is taking action against the Indian River High School.
In a release Oct. 22, the DIAA said it issued a formal letter to the school addressing its failure to comply with regulations concerning student-athlete eligibility and amateur status.
The advertisement in question was the school's football team in a promotion for Hershey Exteriors.
The investigation ultimately concluded that the student athletes and coach involved violated DIAA Rule 1009-2.5.1.7, which prohibits the use of student athletes to promote or endorse commercial products through media. The DIAA said, "the participation in the commercial jeopardized the amateur status of the student-athletes," despite not having received any financial compensation or benefits from it.
Consequences of this violation means the school district has to request that Draper Media remove the commercial from further broadcasts and revise or create a media relations policy regarding student athlete endorsements within 30 days. However, the advertisement was removed from broadcasts shortly after the announcement of an investigation by the DIAA. Future violations of these regulations could mean more severe consequences, according to the DIAA.
"We are appreciative of DIAA for conducting a thorough review of this matter and grateful this issue will not affect the hard work of our team, coaches and volunteers," said the Indian River School in a statement. "School and district officials commit to a thorough understanding of all DIAA regulations moving forward to prevent another issue arising in the future."
While the school has the option to appeal this decision, it has only five days to notify the DIAA for it to be reviewed at the next DIAA Board of Directors meeting.