Penn Wood reinstates some sports, but not football, after ‘culture and climate’ incident
The William Penn School District said it would resume some of its high school fall sports teams: cheer, boys soccer, boys and girls cross county, volleyball and girls tennis.
The William Penn School District reinstated some of its fall sports teams Monday, reversing abrupt suspensions imposed last week after the district learned of an incident it said “implicates culture and climate in athletics.”
But football remained suspended as the Delaware County district moves forward with an investigation into alleged misconduct.
“After reviewing student-athlete survey feedback, the district will move forward with reinstating the following fall high school teams: cheer, boys soccer, boys and girls cross country, volleyball, and girls tennis (although their season is over),” the district said in a statement Monday. “Our athletic director is working with coaches and teams to complete the remainder of the fall season.”
The district did not specify when or if football might be reinstated. Middle school athletics were not mentioned in the release.
William Penn announced on Thursday that all Penn Wood High School sports were suspended “in response to information received about an alleged incident that implicates culture and climate in athletics.”
The district, which added Friday that middle school sports were also suspended, did not describe the incident, or which team or teams were allegedly involved. Students at the high school walked out Friday in protest.
The district said it was trying to ensure student safety and that suspensions were not meant to be permanent.
On Monday, William Penn said it had “partnered with Grand River Solutions (GRS) who will coordinate a response under district policy and investigate specific allegations of misconduct.”
The California-based firm’s website says it has experience investigating “allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and bullying, as well as sexual violence and stalking.”
William Penn said it is also “reviewing athletic operations and using feedback from students and coaches to identify areas for improvement.”
The sports suspensions come after a high-profile case in the Cheltenham School District, where four football coaches and six players were criminally charged in connection with two alleged assaults in fall 2025 in a locker room.
