Ipswich police body camera video shows heated exchange between parents, school principal over boys’ lacrosse decision

Police body camera footage shows a tense meeting Tuesday between Ipswich High School Principal Jonathan Mitchell and the fathers of two boys’ lacrosse players shortly before the team forfeited its Division 4 state semifinal game.

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In the video taken Tuesday at about 10:15 a.m. at the school, John Gianakakis and Drew Wile press Mitchell for an explanation after several players were ruled ineligible to play because of a graduation incident involving cigars. Parents have said the cigars were homemade and contained tea leaves rather than tobacco.

A police report on the confrontation said Mitchell called police shortly after 10 a.m. and asked for an officer to respond to the main office “ASAP.” The officer wrote that when he reached the office he saw Gianakakis and Wile speaking with Mitchell, and Mitchell “indicated that he wanted me to enter and join the meeting.”

“Both were noticeably upset by the ruling and wanted to vent and be heard by Mitchell,” the officer wrote in the report.

Mitchell tells the parents that he, along with Superintendent Brian Blake, and Athletic Director Tom Gallagher, reviewed evidence before reaching a decision.

A photo posted on social media appeared to show several players holding cigars. The chemical health policy prohibits student athletes from using tobacco, alcohol, and certain other substances during their season.

“I’m very disappointed to have to do this, but I’m doing my job,” Mitchell tells the parents in the video. “How do we enforce the rules? I can’t just look the other way. We’ve got more evidence that says they did it than not.”

Gianakakis and Wile argued that the school failed to consider the evidence they provided or their explanation that the cigars were made as props. They also contended the players were being punished too harshly for what they described as a graduation tradition.

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“It’s a fake cigar, it’s been proven,” Gianakakis says during the exchange. “Now you’re telling all us parents, all us adults … that we’re liars.”

Wile accuses Mitchell of initially indicating the players would be allowed to play before reversing course after Blake became involved.

“You were totally letting these kids play till you got bullied,” Wile says. “Yes or no?”

Mitchell denies the decision was made lightly. He says he brought in Blake and Gallagher because of the magnitude of the situation.

“This is a huge decision, I’m not going to make it solo,” Mitchell says. “So I bring in the superintendent because I trust his wisdom. I bring in the athletic director because he’s always been by my side. And we talked about it for the last two days.”

The meeting grows more heated, with the parents arguing the decision would devastate the players and put younger athletes in a difficult position if the team tried to play without the suspended seniors.

“Everybody had their due process,” Mitchell says. “We looked at the evidence. We made a final determination. That’s the end of the story.”

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