Bishop McCort principal responds to hockey dad’s claims injured son was left behind | Local News

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A statement from Bishop McCort Catholic High School says its varsity hockey coaching staff acted in accordance with school protocol when the team departed from a Pittsburgh-area hockey arena while an injured member of the team waited with a paramedic for his father to arrive.

Bishop McCort Principal Tom Smith issued a statement Sunday responding to criticism circulating on social media, starting with a post made Saturday by the student-athlete’s father after his son was released from a four-day hospital stay due to an internal injury sustained at the end of the game Jan. 5 at Ice Castle Arena.

kAm%96 A2C2>65:4 H2D 2DD:8?65 3J E96 !6??DJ=G2?:2 x?E6CD49@=2DE:4 w@4<6J {628F6]k^Am

kAm“%96 E62> 3FD 2?5 2== E62> A6CD@??6= H6C6 8@?6 H96? x 2CC:G65 2E E96 C:?<[” E96 72E96C[ }2E92? p?56CD@?[ D2:5 😕 9:D A@DE] “%96 @?=J @?6 7C@> E96 E62> E96C6[ H2D >J D@? D:EE:?8 😕 E96 =@33J] w6 DA6?E 7@FC ?:89ED 2E r9:=5C6?’D 9@DA:E2= 7@C 9:D :?E6C?2= :?;FCJ H9:49 C6BF:C65 DFC86CJ]k^Am

kAm“p== E92E x 42? E9:?< 23@FE 😀 9@H 5@6D 2? @C82?:K2E:@? >2<6 2 564:D:@? E@ =62G6 2? :?;FC65 <:5 369:?5 – 😕 E9:D 42D6 3=665:?8 :?E6C?2==Jn”k^Am

kAmx? 2 A9@?6 :?E6CG:6H $F?52J[ $>:E9 D2:5 E96 6?E:C6 E62> H2:E65 7@C 23@FE c_ >:?FE6D 27E6C E96 82>6 H9:=6 E96 :?;FC65 A=2J6C’D 72E96C H2D @? E96 H2J E@ E96 2C6?2]k^Am

kAm$>:E9[ H9@ 92D 366? 2 9:89 D49@@= DA@CED 4@249 7@C b_ J62CD[ D2:5 96 92D 366? 😕 >2?J D:EF2E:@?D 😕 H9:49 A=2J6CD 2C6 :?;FC65]k^Am

kAm“x? E9:D D:EF2E:@?[ E96 525 H2D @? 9:D H2J – `d >:?FE6D 2H2J – 2?5 E96 A2C2>65:4 D2:5 E@ 4@249 E@ 86E E96 @E96C A=2J6CD 324< @? E96 C@25 7@C E96 EH@\9@FC 5C:G6 324< E@ y@9?DE@H?[” $>:E9 D2:5]k^Am

kAm$>:E9 D2:5 E96 9625 4@249[ pCE |4″F:==2?[ >256 2 56E6C>:?2E:@? E92E E96 A=2J6C H2D H:E9 2 EC2:?65 AC@76DD:@?2=[ 2?5 D2:5 E96 :?;FC65 A=2J6C 7:DE\3F>A65 H:E9 E62>>2E6D 367@C6 E96J =67E[ $>:E9 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“%92E 5@6D?’E >62? H6 H@?’E =@@< 2E @FC AC@E@4@=D E@ D66 H92E H6 42? 5@ E@ >2<6 DFC6 ?@E9:?8 =:<6 E9:D 92AA6?D 282:?[” $>:E9 D2:5] “(6 H:== 5@ E92E[ 3FE C:89E ?@H E96C6’D ?@ AC@E@4@= x’> 2H2C6 @7 E92E D2JD 2 4@249 D9@F=5 DE2J]”k^Am

kAmx? 9:D >6DD286 D6?E E@ A2C6?ED $F?52J[ $>:E9 D2:5 E92E 27E6C E96 82>6 925 4@?4=F565 2?5 H9:=6 E96 E62> H2D 😕 E96 =@4<6C C@@>[ E62> A6CD@??6= H6C6 :?7@C>65 E92E 2 A=2J6C H2D 6IA6C:6?4:?8 5:D4@>7@CE C6=2E65 E@ 2? :?;FCJ 2?5 E92E E96 A2C2>65:4 2DD:8?65 3J E96 =628F6 E@ 4@G6C E96 82>6 H2D :>>65:2E6=J DF>>@?65 E@ E96 =@4<6C C@@>]k^Am

kAm(:E9 E96 A2C6?ED ?@E:7:65 @7 E96:C D@?’D :?;FCJ 3J q:D9@A |4r@CE DE277[ 2 >6>36C @7 E96 4@249:?8 DE277 H2:E65 H:E9 E96 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6 😕 E96 =@33J 7@C 23@FE b_ E@ c_ >:?FE6D 27E6C E96 82>6 7@C E96 72E96C E@ 2CC:G6[ $>:E9 D2:5 😕 9:D DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

kAm(:E9 E96 72E96C 23@FE `_ >:?FE6D 7C@> 2CC:G2=[ E96 E62> 56A2CE65 H:E9 2DDFC2?46 7C@> E96 A2C2>65:4]k^Am

kAm%96 DE2E6>6?E D2:5i “%96 A2C2>65:4 4@?7:C>65 E@ q:D9@A |4r@CE DE277 E92E E96 DEF56?E’D G:E2= D:8?D H6C6 8@@5[ E96 DEF56?E H2D DE23=6 2?5 ?@E 😕 5:DEC6DD[ 2?5 E92E DE277 4@F=5 56A2CE H9:=6 E96 A2C2>65:4 C6>2:?65 H:E9 E96 DEF56?E F?E:= E96 72E96C 2CC:G65] ]]]k^Am

kAm“’:56@ 6G:56?46 4@?7:C>D E92E E96 72E96C 2CC:G65 H:E9:? `_ >:?FE6D W@7 E96 E62>’D 56A2CEFC6X] ‘:56@ 6G:56?46 2=D@ 4@?7:C>D E92E E96 DEF56?E H2D ?6G6C =67E F?2EE6?565 3J E96 A2C2>65:4]k^Am

kAm“u@==@H:?8 2 E9@C@F89 C6G:6H[ E96 D49@@= 92D 56E6C>:?65 E92E E96 D:EF2E:@? H2D 92?5=65 2AAC@AC:2E6=J 2?5 😕 244@C52?46 H:E9 6DE23=:D965 AC@E@4@=D[” $>:E9 D2:5 😕 9:D DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

kAm%96 %C:3F?6\s6>@4C2E’D 42==D E@ |4″F:==2? H6C6 ?@E C6EFC?65 $F?52J]k^Am

kAm%9C@F89 D@4:2= >65:2[ @H=6586 @7 E96 :?4:56?E DAC625 24C@DD E96 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am

kAm#:49=2?5 $49@@= s:DEC:4E $FA6C:?E6?56?E pC?@=5 }25@?=6J D2:5 E96 D49@@=’D G2CD:EJ 9@4<6J 4@249[ y2>6D ‘2D:=<@[ :DDF65 2? 6=64EC@?:4 >6DD286 E@ A2C6?ED @7 9@4<6J A=2J6CD 3642FD6 E96J 925 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE H92E #:49=2?5’D AC@465FC6 H@F=5 36 :7 E96:C 49:=5 H6C6 :?;FC65]k^Am

kAm’2D:=<@’D >6DD286 E@ A2C6?ED C625i “u@==@H:?8 2 C646?E :?4:56?E :?G@=G:?8 2? :?;FC65 A=2J6C W?@E @? @FC E62>X[ H6 H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 4=2C:7J @FC A@=:4J 7@C D:EF2E:@?D H96C6 2? 2E9=6E6 >2J C6BF:C6 >65:42= 2EE6?E:@? 36J@?5 E96 C:?< ]]]k^Am

kAm“x7 2? 2E9=6E6 😀 :?;FC65 2?5 C6BF:C6D EC2?DA@CE2E:@? E@ E96 9@DA:E2=[ 2 4@249 @C E62> C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 H:== C6>2:? H:E9 E96 2E9=6E6 F?E:= 2 A2C6?E @C 8F2C5:2? 2CC:G6D] %9:D 2AA=:6D E@ 2== 82>6D[ :?4=F5:?8 2H2J 82>6D 😕 2C62D =:<6 !:EED3FC89]”k^Am

kAm}25@?=6J D2:5 E92E 2=E9@F89 t|$ H2D 2E E96 D:56 @7 E96 q:D9@A |4r@CE DEF56?E[ #:49=2?5’D AC@465FC6 😀 E92E “@FC 4@249 DE2JD 324<]”k^Am

kAm“(6 2C6 E96 A2C6?E F?56C E96 =2H – ‘:? =@4@ A2C6?E:D[’ ” }25@?=6J D2:5[ C676C6?4:?8 2 {2E:? E6C> FD65 😕 4@>>@? =2H 7@C D49@@=D E92E >62?D “:? A=246 @7 2 A2C6?E]”k^Am