Alex Brink won't suit up when his former teammates kickoff their football season. He's permanently suspended from sports (but not school) for a crime he says he didn't commit -- and he says he has a clean drug test to prove it.
Logansport High School is rolling out a new football field, but the school barred Brink - one of its top performing senior running backs - from competing on it this season. School officials say he violated the school's code of conduct back in May.
At that time, a Cass County Deputy accused Brink of being under the influence of marijuana based on eyelid tremors. According to the police report, the 18-year-old with Brink admitted they had gone to an abandoned garage to smoke, but Brink denied it.
"I went to drop him off and then went to run a few errands and then came back," recalled Brink's father, Allen Brink. "About a minute or two later, that's when I saw the Sheriff pull up."
The Brinks say a drug test Alex took the next morning clears him.
"They made some wild allegations about the drug test and said they weren't going to accept it," said Allen.
One school board member said the corporation has a tiered disciplinary system. The first offense, a student is suspended for 30 percent of the season (three games). A second offense is permanent suspension.
"This is considered his second violation, but it's not a violation....Whatever happened previously is completely irrelevant," argued Allen.
The school corporation's attorney said the media is getting just one side of the story, but refused to speak with 13 Investigates about the school's policy.
In a lawsuit filed against the Logansport school district, the Brinks say the district is doing irreparable harm to the high school standout and his opportunity for possible scholarships. Logansport schools have not only banned Brink from its teams, but have also refused to sign off on allowing him to play at another school in the region.
"It's embarrassing, and just getting falsely accused of something is really a bad feeling," said Alex. "I can still participate in practices and lift and everything, but it just wasn't the same."
Alex starts school in Kokomo on Wednesday. He hopes the courts will side with him and his negative drug test. If so, he could be back in Logansport October 3 in a football matchup against his old school.
