Guest commentary: Denying hope for future Immokalee athletes is unfair

Before all of the negative opinions roll in about Immokalee High School's students, principal, coaches, etc., please hear me out!

I am a person who is all about the rules. Just ask my biology students at Immokalee High.

If it's immigration issues or chewing gum in class, I believe rules should be enforced.

I agree that a few of our students broke the Florida High School Athletic Association rules and that our principal made a difficult decision which he believed was for the best at that time.

However, all of the media attention and reaction from the general public of Naples, as well as the punishment dealt by the FHSAA, are much too harsh.

Taking away the past titles, although disappointing to the innocent students who worked very hard to earn them, is just. Denying the hope for future teams is cruel.

Isn't high school supposed to be about the kids?!

Next year's teams have great talent and honorable students whose entire futures could be unjustly marred due to this decision.

Immokalee has always been the "scapegoat" for Collier County. Many schools are guilty of accepting forged documents whether for age, address or grades and even recruiting infractions by coaches (Golden Gate and Palmetto Ridge high schools in 2005). Yet Immokalee makes for better press!

This school and community depend on sports to provide a little relief from very difficult living conditions. Now that joy will be gone and the current students must bear the brunt of all the ridicule so easily hurled their way.

IHS students are the most respectful, lovable kids I've ever had the privilege to work with in my 23 years in education. And no administrator has come close to earning as much of my admiration and respect as Manny Touron has.

In the Bible, Nathan the prophet confronted David the king (concerning his adultrous relationship with Bathsheba after killing her husband) with a parable about a rich man who had everything and killed a poor man's only lamb and ate it.

In his fury, King David charged, "That man must die!" and Nathan replied, "You are that man!"

Take heed, Naples, and keep your thoughts, opinions and insults to yourself. Instead, please take this opportunity to get to know your neighbors; embrace the heartbroken Immokalee community and pray for the students of Immokalee High to have God's strength to overcome!