Judge: HS Wrestler Can Start Season Despite Troublesome Tweet

A Shakopee High School wrestler can soon rejoin his team, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, despite contentions that a tweet by the 16-year-old had constituted a terroristic threat to his school.

Tyson Leon had sued the high school saying his indefinite suspension from school sports in late August over the tweet could undermine his hopes of going to college on an athletic scholarship.

Leon had been pulled off a bus headed to a football scrimmage after school officials said they had discovered a tweet in which he wrote "Im boutta drill my 'teammates' on Monday."

Leon maintained that "drilling" is a football term referring to tackling someone hard.

He and his parents sued the Minnesota State High School League and its executive director and Shakopee schools and district officials. Wednesday, his attorney's push for a restraining order was dropped after a federal judge heard both sides of the issue, said Leon's mother, Barb Bainer.

"We had a meeting [Wednesday] and yes, it was put on record that he can start wrestling when the season starts on [November] 18th," Bainer said.

The school district contended that the indefinite suspension was only for the football season.

It was agreed that Leon's eligibility is to be fully restored, and that he will be expected to follow all bylaws that other students follow, which he knew all along that he had to do, the mother said.

"The ultimate goal was to get Tyson reinstated ..." Bainer said. "The whole thing's kind of ludicrous."

JOY POWELL