Duluth East's Akolda Manyang accused of smoking cigarettes on street, may miss State

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Nothing like a heater to get you in condition for strenuous competition. Might as well put rocks in your pockets.
 



If he did the crime, he should do the time.

Tobacco and booze have been no-nos for HS athletes for a long, long time. If he was dumb enough to do it in the first place and then dumb enough to get caught, he's lost his right to play in the state tourney.
 

In Japan the runners actually chain smoke before marathons because they feel the extra nicotine is helpful...
 

Did anyone read that full article? Sounds absolutely ridiculous to me. If I read that correctly, it sounds like an annonymous person accused him of smoking and when Manyang asked to have a test done to prove he doesn't smoke, they denied it. How can you deny someone the opportunity to prove their innocence when you don't even have any proof? What country is this? Who knows what the truth is, but everything in that article made it sound like the school officials are being extremely unreasonable. As for the person who is denying the tests, I wonder how they would feel if some random person accused him/her of doing something illegal and got him/her fired without an opportunity to prove their innocence?

Here are some quotes:
“He has a right to prove his innocence through chemical testing; he requested it twice and was denied,” said Lynn Janzen

“The kid does not smoke,” he said. “I check his clothes and check his breath all the time —you can’t hide cigarette smoke. If you are a smoker, it’s going to be in your clothes. Every day before practice, I check his bag because I was up for being this kid’s foster parent. I want to know what I’m bringing into my household. So you better believe I’m going to do my due diligence to make sure I’m not dealing with a kid, who on the surface seems to be OK, but has some sneaky ways about him. And not once have I ever detected the smell of cigarettes on him.”

For all we know there is some kid at the school who simply doesn't like him and is lying about the whole thing just to get him in trouble. Apparently the school doesn't believe in human rights.
 

GophersOnTheRise you are completely correct, I know the Duluth East coaches and players very well and from what I have discussed with them, he was wrongly accused. There is no way you cannot grant him a drug test, if he wants to have one let him take it. In my mind, he was accused by someone completely random that wanted to hurt DE's chances at state. I know the players have one thing on their mind and that is to play for Akolda, and nothing else. Should be an interesting story to see if he does get cleared to play.
 



This kid will never play for the U, just cross him off the list. Grades, discipline, family influences, transferring around, I just don't even see it happening. I wish him the best of luck though.
 


In Pasadena, CA, we will no longer be able to smoke inside our own homes starting in 2013!
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
Did anyone read that full article? Sounds absolutely ridiculous to me. If I read that correctly, it sounds like an annonymous person accused him of smoking and when Manyang asked to have a test done to prove he doesn't smoke, they denied it. How can you deny someone the opportunity to prove their innocence when you don't even have any proof? What country is this? Who knows what the truth is, but everything in that article made it sound like the school officials are being extremely unreasonable. As for the person who is denying the tests, I wonder how they would feel if some random person accused him/her of doing something illegal and got him/her fired without an opportunity to prove their innocence?

Here are some quotes:
“He has a right to prove his innocence through chemical testing; he requested it twice and was denied,” said Lynn Janzen

“The kid does not smoke,” he said. “I check his clothes and check his breath all the time —you can’t hide cigarette smoke. If you are a smoker, it’s going to be in your clothes. Every day before practice, I check his bag because I was up for being this kid’s foster parent. I want to know what I’m bringing into my household. So you better believe I’m going to do my due diligence to make sure I’m not dealing with a kid, who on the surface seems to be OK, but has some sneaky ways about him. And not once have I ever detected the smell of cigarettes on him.”

For all we know there is some kid at the school who simply doesn't like him and is lying about the whole thing just to get him in trouble. Apparently the school doesn't believe in human rights.
Click to expand...

This isn't a court of law. Due process doesn't apply. That being said, it is really arbitrary of the school to deny him the ability to take a test, and it is almost certainly someone with an axe to grind just trying to get him in trouble.
 



Even if it's not a court of law, doesn't he still deserve rights? You can't just suspend someone for the hell of it.
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
Even if it's not a court of law, doesn't he still deserve rights? You can't just suspend someone for the hell of it.
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Actually, you can. That's the point. You can say it's wrong, but they can do it pretty much whenever they want and for any reason. You'd like to think they have some basis, but that's not always necessarily the case.
 

If they were to take it to court though I'd have to imagine a judge could rule in Manyang's favor if they can prove his innocence, right? If not I've lost all faith in this country and mankind.
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
If they were to take it to court though I'd have to imagine a judge could rule in Manyang's favor if they can prove his innocence, right? If not I've lost all faith in this country and mankind.
Click to expand...

Of course. But that's taking it to the level of getting the law involved. The disciplinary process contained within the school is different. There are different rules for different states. I'm not sure what Minnesota's is, but speaking generally, it doesn't get taken to a formal hearing process unless we are talking about a 10+-day suspension and/or expulsion on the table. In those cases, the school board gets involved, there is a formal hearing process, formal evidence is submitted, counsel is allowed and encouraged, etc. In lesser cases, generally 3 or less days' suspension, the principal has near-authoritative power. The accused party must be given an opportunity to defend themselves, but it's generally still the call of the principal and his/her call alone regardless of the circumstances.
 

Well, if Manyang truly is innocent I hope he goes somewhere to get tested and shows the negative results to the principal. If the principal refuses to look at them or to let him off the hook, then I hope he and his family go to every media outlet who is willing to listen and makes the school look as horrible as they possibly can.
 

The year after I graduated HS a hand full of athletes from my school got suspended for violating the drug and alcohol policy because somebody saw pictures of them on Facebook drinking from red cups at a party. There was no evidence of what was in the cups but they were all accused of drinking and suspended. It sucks but it is true, schools can suspend kids without having to prove anything.
 

Markous15 said:
The year after I graduated HS a hand full of athletes from my school got suspended for violating the drug and alcohol policy because somebody saw pictures of them on Facebook drinking from red cups at a party. There was no evidence of what was in the cups but they were all accused of drinking and suspended. It sucks but it is true, schools can suspend kids without having to prove anything.
Click to expand...

It is called guilt by association.
 

Markous15 said:
The year after I graduated HS a hand full of athletes from my school got suspended for violating the drug and alcohol policy because somebody saw pictures of them on Facebook drinking from red cups at a party. There was no evidence of what was in the cups but they were all accused of drinking and suspended. It sucks but it is true, schools can suspend kids without having to prove anything.
Click to expand...

Mankato East?
 



Markous15 said:
The year after I graduated HS a hand full of athletes from my school got suspended for violating the drug and alcohol policy because somebody saw pictures of them on Facebook drinking from red cups at a party. There was no evidence of what was in the cups but they were all accused of drinking and suspended. It sucks but it is true, schools can suspend kids without having to prove anything.
Click to expand...

Was it this party?

 

The point is, based on what everyone is saying, this one is screaming SETUP.
 

@Gophersontherise nope North Branch. A little less high profile haha.
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
Did anyone read that full article? Sounds absolutely ridiculous to me. If I read that correctly, it sounds like an annonymous person accused him of smoking and when Manyang asked to have a test done to prove he doesn't smoke, they denied it. How can you deny someone the opportunity to prove their innocence when you don't even have any proof? What country is this? Who knows what the truth is, but everything in that article made it sound like the school officials are being extremely unreasonable. As for the person who is denying the tests, I wonder how they would feel if some random person accused him/her of doing something illegal and got him/her fired without an opportunity to prove their innocence?

Here are some quotes:
“He has a right to prove his innocence through chemical testing; he requested it twice and was denied,” said Lynn Janzen

“The kid does not smoke,” he said. “I check his clothes and check his breath all the time —you can’t hide cigarette smoke. If you are a smoker, it’s going to be in your clothes. Every day before practice, I check his bag because I was up for being this kid’s foster parent. I want to know what I’m bringing into my household. So you better believe I’m going to do my due diligence to make sure I’m not dealing with a kid, who on the surface seems to be OK, but has some sneaky ways about him. And not once have I ever detected the smell of cigarettes on him.”

For all we know there is some kid at the school who simply doesn't like him and is lying about the whole thing just to get him in trouble. Apparently the school doesn't believe in human rights.
Click to expand...
If he's 18 and wants a heater, it's none of the MSHSL's business, IMO. He wasn't smoking on school property and they have no proof that he was smoking. Let's just say for example, I don't want CDH to win their first football game next year. Do I simply have to name a handful of players that I "observed" smoking and they're suspended?
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
If he's 18 and wants a heater, it's none of the MSHSL's business, IMO. He wasn't smoking on school property and they have no proof that he was smoking. Let's just say for example, I don't want CDH to win their first football game next year. Do I simply have to name a handful of players that I "observed" smoking and they're suspended?
Click to expand...
Pretty much, ya.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
If he's 18 and wants a heater, it's none of the MSHSL's business, IMO. He wasn't smoking on school property and they have no proof that he was smoking. Let's just say for example, I don't want CDH to win their first football game next year. Do I simply have to name a handful of players that I "observed" smoking and they're suspended?
Click to expand...

Sadly that's pretty much how it works.
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
If they were to take it to court though I'd have to imagine a judge could rule in Manyang's favor if they can prove his innocence, right? If not I've lost all faith in this country and mankind.
Click to expand...

Well Rise, it had to happen eventually. Sorry.
 

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