In East St. Louis, it is commonplace (as we’ve seen) for elected officials, teachers and “community leaders” to make big bucks or otherwise profiteer or benefit from their positions within ESL’s political and educational structure.
The problem is that many of these individuals have no real vested interest in the community because they live elsewhere.
Felons routinely walk from prison cells into ESL office suites and positions of authority for which many upstanding, educated ESL citizens aren’t even considered.
So it’s no surprise when one of ESL’s student athletes, who faces felony charges as well as charges of residency violations, is slapped on the wrist by the local courts and actually defended by local educators, clergy, media and his uncle who also happens to be his football coach.
The student athlete is ESL Senior High All-State defensive lineman Charles Tigue. For those who don’t know the story, Tigue took part in an armed robbery back in 2007, along with his cousin Marnaz Crawford.
Crawford was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but will (most likely) serve about 6 years. St. Clair County Circuit judges, however, decided that Tigue’s pending felonies should not prevent him from playing football, attending prom or other school activities.
As a result of the scrutiny over the robbery, it was also revealed that Tigue and his parents actually reside in Belleville, a lie facilitated and concealed by his coach and uncle Darren Sunkett.
Consequently, the Illinois High School Association has ruled that Tigue is ineligible to play for ESL Senior High (and must sit out the rest of the season) because of his actual residency within Belleville School District 201.
At press time, the IHSA was weighing a decision to possibly strip the ESL Flyers of five of their wins, as a result of Tigue’s residency violation.
Coach Sunkett is also in jeopardy of being suspended as Flyers coach based upon an IHSA rule, which clearly states: “Persons found guilty of exercising undue influence to secure or retain the attendance of a student at a member school shall be ineligible to coach at an IHSA member school for one year.”
I’m a proud graduate of ESL Senior High, but don’t get it twisted. I’m not an advocate of bending the rules for the sake of a winning football record at my alma mater.
This is about right and wrong. It’s also about the adults in Charles Tigue’s life sending him mixed signals.
The lessons learned, thus far, are that star athletes should receive preferential treatment, despite lying, cheating and engaging in criminal behavior.
Those lessons are being reinforced by his uncle/coach, parents and (to an extent) the St. Clair County Courts.
It is this very Teflon mentality that permeates college and professional sports, in which super athletes sometimes continue to become involved in sex, drug and criminal scandals because they have received the same incorrect messages throughout their life.
I expect young men and women to make mistakes. We’ve all fallen short in our youth.
However, I don’t expect so-called role models and other adults, with direct influence, to assist in the corruption of a young man with an otherwise bright future.
The example should begin with punishing the adults in Tigue’s life as an example (to him) of what happens when you play fast and loose with rules and laws.
Hopefully, the courts and the IHSA will, ultimately, make the right decisions in these matters.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.
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