PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – More than a dozen Penn Hills senior football players said they were kicked off the high school’s football team, after voicing concerns.

However, after a lot of controversy, they are still on the team.

Most of the players who claim they were booted from the team didn’t practice Tuesday.

Many had to wait around for hours until the activity buses came.

Parents of the teammates were outraged.

The group of 15 seniors says it first went to the principal, then the coach with a list of concerns. Number one — that the kids weren’t getting the letters they needed to apply for colleges and scholarships.

“Coach Peterman said, ‘I don’t want to hear it,” Heather Carter, the mother of one of the team’s senior players, said, “’if you’re not happy with the way I run my program, get off the field, you’re done.’ Kicked 15 boys off the field. When I came up here, I saw 15 kids coming off the field crying.”

The district says that’s not the case.

Its spokeswoman said players expressed their unhappiness that Peterman was planning on moving up younger players and said they were going to walk.

The district released a statement to KDKA saying:

“According to Mr. Peterman, the players did not approach him about any issues relating to his office not provided needed college documentation. Mr. Peterman is always very thorough in ensuring that his student-athletes have what they need to move forward in the educational process and succeed.”

“He has a responsibility as the athletic director and coach to secure the future of his seniors and he’s not helping them do that,” said Dawn Duncan, whose son Eric plays on the team. “I’m that saying we want special treatment because they’re seniors. They work hard six days a week.

And among the conflicting accounts of what happened, is the unwavering support of parents for their kids

“First of all, I was proud, proud for standing up for what he believes in,” Demond Reed said of his son, who is a senior player. “… and I told him he had my support 100 percent. There’s nothing he could do on the football field to make me more proud than today.”

Coach Peterman continues to refute the boys’ claims and all 15 boys are still on the team’s roster.

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