Windham High School Principal Gene Blain probably said it best, "the punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime."
Windham High senior Amanda Nappi, the best female javelin thrower in the state this year, will not get a chance to compete in her best event at the State Open track championships today because of a judge who decided he had to enforce the rules to the letter of the law and beyond.
You can read the entire story in today's Norwich Bulletin or on-line at Norwich Bulletin.com but one would say this seems to be a little over the top.
The senior had worked to get to this point throughout her high school career but on the first of her final javelin throws Friday afternoon, she slipped and felt her javelin drag behind. As that happened, she yelled out a four-letter expletive beginning with "s". It wasn't directed at anyone, just a "human reaction" according to Nappi.
Unfortunately, the judge heard it and disqualified the Windham senior for swearing.
It appears nothing can be done at this point but that four-letter expletive would hardly get you tossed out of many a high school event where some far worse utterances are overheard on a regular basis, some directed right at officials. A warning, yes, a disaqualification, no.
This is not to condone swearing but this is one case that I have to agree with Blain, the punishment doesn't fit the crime.