At its Nov. 18 meeting, the Warren Township High School District 121 board opened a policy review of the athletic code of conduct after trustees raised questions about how the district recognizes community club sports — most notably the community hockey club.

Dr. Wiesman told the board that, historically, the district has provided recognition and several practical accommodations for hockey players: promotional space to incoming families, yearbook inclusion, announcements, awards, PE waivers for second semester, and sharing weekly grades and attendance with hockey coaches. He noted the hockey coaches and staff are employed by the club, not by the district.

Trustees questioned whether PE waivers and other forms of recognition fit the district's current extracurricular policy, which the superintendent said has a five‑criteria test for school‑sanctioned activities. Multiple trustees emphasized that if the board changes policy for one program it must be applied consistently for others (robotics, equestrian, feeder clubs), and they flagged concerns about sharing student disciplinary and grade information with non‑district employees.

Liability was a recurring concern. One trustee warned that, regardless of a club's insurance, plaintiffs often pursue the deepest available defendant and said the district could still face lawsuits; trustees requested verification of insurance coverage, clarification of background‑check procedures for non‑district coaches, and legal counsel guidance on FERPA and waiver practices.

Board members agreed on next steps: gather legal advice about waivers and privacy rules, consult the athletic directors about operational impacts of absorbing club programming, and reconvene stakeholder conversations (including booster organizations and the hockey club) to clarify what recognition the club seeks and what the district can provide consistently across programs. No policy change was adopted at the meeting.