Citizen Portal
Sign In

Parent urges FCPS to press local media after student singled out in sports story

Frederick County Public Schools Policy Committee ยท November 5, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

A parent told the policy committee that a Frederick News-Post sports story that singled out a student who missed a penalty kick led to online harassment and a persistent search-result association for the student. The parent asked whether the district could require conditions for media access to school events or use an MOU to protect minors; staff

A parent asked the policy committee to examine whether the district should develop a framework for media access after a Frederick News-Post sports article focused on a single student who missed a penalty kick.

The parent said the story's prominence changed how classmates and the public treated the student and that she wanted district guidance to protect minors. "It was a lot of dramatic storytelling at the expense of a minor," she said, describing online screenshots and teasing that followed publication.

District officials acknowledged the concern and suggested the parent contact Dr. Eric Lewis Phillips, the district's vice president associate superintendent of public affairs, so staff could relay concerns to local reporters. Officials said FCPS does not have formal MOUs with local news outlets and that reporters generally decline contractual restrictions; however, staff do liaise with reporters and gave examples of routine communications and opportunities to comment.

Board members and staff discussed alternatives: encouraging reporters to adopt more protective practices for minors, publicizing the district's expectations for coverage and reminding coaches and school teams to provide on-site support for students after difficult moments. One board member noted an example where a photographer captured a coach embracing a player after a missed free throw and that such images can be used to produce a compassionate narrative.

What the committee did not do: it did not restrict media attendance at school events. Officials said public events remain public, but the district will reach out to media partners to request sensitivity and will provide a district contact for concerns about coverage.