Prosecutor weighs charges in Proctor High School football investigation

Northern Minnesota prosecutors say they’re now examining evidence for possible charges following an investigation into allegations of misconduct by some members of the Proctor High School football program.

The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office said Monday it received a referral from Proctor police and will now “conduct a thorough and careful review of the evidence before making any charging decisions.”

No other information or timelines were provided. Police have said little about the investigation because it involves juveniles. District leaders have described the actions under scrutiny as “player misconduct.”

Officials canceled the high school football season in September amid the investigation. Derek Parendo, Proctor’s football coach, resigned earlier this month. He’s on a paid, personal leave of absence for the remainder of the current year.

District officials have said that extra counseling has been offered to students and that the school’s athletic department has implemented character-building programming.

Proctor is a city of about 3,000 people just west of Duluth.

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