Concerns force cancellation of Ross-Sandusky events

FREMONT - Fremont Ross High School canceled its basketball home opener and an away swim meet Tuesday, both against Sandusky, because of safety concerns.

"It's an ongoing investigation and I can't elaborate on it, but there were safety concerns," Fremont Interim Police Chief Jim White said Tuesday.

White said detectives have been investigating reports of a fight after a girls basketball game between the two schools in which officers were dispatched to Ross around 9:20 p.m. Nov. 20. According to a police incident report, four officers monitored a large crowd as it was dispersing after the game, and no arrests were made.

Fremont Schools Superintendent Traci McCaudy said Tuesday that there was a fight in the school hallway after the girls game involving two groups of adults, none of them students, from Fremont and Sandusky.

She said she sent letters to the adults barring them from school property. The letters to Fremont residents were hand-delivered by Fremont police and the letters to the Sandusky residents were sent by certified mail, according to McCaudy.

"We thought the issue was resolved," she said.

However, threats of violence involving the same adults surfaced before the Little Giants boys basketball team was to play Sandusky at home on Nov. 27. After consulting with school and police officials, McCaudy said "in the interest of the safety and security of our students, parents and community members" the game was postponed and rescheduled for Tuesday.

McCaudy did not describe the nature of the threats, how they were made, or how police became aware of them.

New information surfaced again Tuesday morning involving threats of violence between the same two groups of adults, she said. After collaborating again with police and school officials, McCaudy said she and White decided to cancel Tuesday night's basketball and swimming contests.

"It's a shame that adults involved in these incidents are using a high school basketball game for their own grievances," McCaudy said. "But I am confident that the Fremont Police Department will get this issue resolved."

White said the conflict between the Fremont and Sandusky adults originated months ago.

"This has been going on since the summer," White said. "There was a group from Sandusky and Fremont at the biker club (Knight Riders Club) on Adams Street and Bidwell Avenue that got into it where shots were fired."

No injuries were reported in that incident, but White said Fremont and Sandusky police have been investigating two groups of teens and young adults believed to have been involved. He said he would not classify it as gang activity.

"I'm not sure how large the groups are ... I can't say if it's 5 or 10. It's not 100," White said.

McCaudy said no decision has been made on whether Tuesday's basketball game and swim meet would be rescheduled. "I'll continue to work with the Sandusky City Schools and Fremont Police Department and we will decide. We're taking it one day at a time," she said.

The boys basketball teams are scheduled to play in Sandusky on Jan. 23.

The Ross Little Giants and the Sandusky Blue Streaks have been sports rivals for more than a century, mostly on the football field.

cshoup@gannett.com

419-334-1035

Twitter: @CraigShoupNH