- Some nearby school districts are declining to visit East Palestine, Ohio, to compete in track meets two months after a train derailment exposed the town to toxic chemicals, locals told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
- The school district’s athletic budget dropped between 40-50% in lost participation fees, entry fees and attendance at track meets as teams from the surrounding areas have opted not to travel to the town to compete, Dwayne Pavkovich, assistant principal and athletic director at East Palestine City Schools, told the DCNF.
- Many are hesitant to visit East Palestine due to alleged misinformation that circulates on social media, despite the district’s best attempts to provide accurate information to other district officials.
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2 Months After Toxic Derailment, Schools Won’t Let Athletes Compete In East Palestine
FILE - A man takes photos as a black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern train, Feb. 6, 2023. After toxic chemicals were released into the air from a wrecked train in Ohio, evacuated residents remain in the dark about what toxic substances are lingering in their vacated neighborhoods while they await approval to return home. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
