Saratoga Springs school officials deny they ignored alleged abusive culture in athletics

The Saratoga Springs City School District on Thursday afternoon issued a statement in response to NewsChannel 13’s report on an abusive culture in athletics denying wrongdoing.

“While the allegations in the letter are very concerning, any allegations that the district ignored or did not address the complaints referenced in this letter are completely false. We are not able to comment on any individual personnel or student matters included in the letter,” the district said in a statement.

The district said it cares about each and every student and takes any matters of alleged abuse or bullying very seriously. 

School officials were first notified by NewsChannel 13 late Wednesday of allegations concerning its athletic programs. They noted that the letter was not sent to the district directly.

The district said it would continue to review the allegations and provide a more detailed response at an appropriate time.

“As a district, our goal is to provide a positive experience for all our student-athletes, on and off the playing field. We appreciate the dedicated efforts of our professional coaching staff and the ongoing support of our families and school community,” the statement said.

The district was responding to a 77-page letter sent by Attorney Martin Greenberg, who is representing a group called Safe Athletics for Everyone (SAFE), to state officials calling for an investigation into what they are calling an abusive culture in athletics that pushed athletes to play serious injuries and subjected them to bullying.