NJ homecoming game canceled over anonymous threats of violence, Asbury Park School District says
A New Jersey high school's highly anticipated homecoming game -- and the celebration -- were canceled hours before the teams were set to take the field Friday over anonymous threats of violence, officials said.
Asbury Park school officials said the decision to cancel Friday night's game against Keansburg was made out of an abundance of caution"for our students, athletes, families, spectators and community at-large" and came after Keansburg officials reported receiving threats of violence around the impending game.
The nature of the threats to Keansburg wasn't immediately clear, but that school forfeited the game, the Asbury Park School District said. It noted that Asbury Park High School Principal Bridge O'Neill had been notified earlier in the day. "It is unfortunate that someone is stealing this opportunity from our students," the Asbury Park School District said in a statement."These young people who were impacted by ineligibility earlier in the season have worked hard to get back in a position to participate in sports, so we don’t take this decision lightly. Both student and community safety are paramount. While unfortunate, this decision had to be made and is in the best interest of everyone’s safety.