Police are investigating a Kansas high school baseball team over claims they slaughtered a chicken before an away game.
The Valley Center High School Hornet varsity team is alleged to have killed a chicken on their home field before the game on April 20.
Allegations had been reported to the school, in Valley Center, by an employee on Monday, and the team’s season has now been suspended pending an investigation.
The team had played against Circle High School in Towanda, Kansas, on Saturday after they are said to have killed the bird.
Valley Center police said on Tuesday that the allegations revolved around the team and the coaches.
The Valley Center High School Hornet varsity team is alleged to have killed a chicken on their home field before the game on April 20
Allegations had been reported to the school, in Valley Center, by an employee on Monday, and the team’s season has now been suspended pending an investigation
In a letter to parents, the district said: ‘Administrators were alerted to an incident of possible animal cruelty involving the entire Hornet varsity baseball team and the entire coaching staff on USD 262 property.
‘Immediately upon learning of the incident, high school, and district leadership notified the appropriate authorities and suspended the season.
An update from the school said: ‘The Valley Center High School varsity baseball season has been suspended due to an active law enforcement investigation.
‘A decision regarding the remainder of the baseball season will be made pending the outcome of the investigation.’
The baseball team hasn’t played a home game since the start of the month and have ten games remaining in their season.
Since the allegations surfaced earlier this week, there have been mixed reactions from locals.
Speaking to KAKE News, a sophomore at the school said: ‘This isn’t something anyone should be fired over.’
While Sarah Demitras, a elementary school parent, added: ‘If you’re not killing an animal to harvest it for its food or to eat it, then it’s cruelty.
The baseball team hasn’t played a home game since the start of the month and have ten games remaining in their season
Since the allegations surfaced earlier this week, there have been mixed reactions from locals
‘Why would a bunch of kids be doing that kind of activity, especially with adults supervising? We gotta do better for our kids. We gotta do better for our community.’
Police Chief Lloyd Newman also told the outlet that as of Tuesday night he still had one coach to interview before making any decisions.
No arrests have yet been made, but Chief Newman said that if someone ate the chicken after it was killed it would not be considered animal cruelty.
In 2011, police in Fort Worth, Texas, charged two teenagers after being accused of killing baby chickens on their high school baseball field.
According to a CBS report, police said the two teens ‘engaged in acts that caused the death of two baby chickens’.
The two had been kicked off the team at Western Hills High School, with coach Bobby McIntire telling the outlet that ‘baseball is very superstitious’.