Beechwood High School football players say party was at Ludlow city manager's house

FORT MITCHELL, Ky. - Officials say 15 to 16 players on the Beechwood High School football team were suspended for this Friday's playoff game and three were kicked off the team.

This all comes after an underage drinking party was held on the property of Ludlow City Administrator Brian Richmond.

On Thursday afternoon, Beechwood football coach Noel Rash told 9 News that his players told him the party was at Richmond's house.

When 9 News asked if they confessed to being in the house, Rash said, "Yes. They were in and out of the house." When asked if it was at Richmond's home, Rash said, "That's the name I was told."

Further Rash said it was his understanding that the parents were there.

"The players alerted to me that they did speak with the parents while they were at the party," he said.

On Wednesday, Richmond told 9 News that he knew his 15-year-old son, who is on the football team, was having friends over but that get-together grew with the help of social media and even attracted teenagers from other schools.

Richmond said "there was a gathering" on a portion of his property in a wooded area behind his house, but said he did not know there was any drinking taking place.

Richmond told 9 News on Thursday that the he knew the students were on his property but that they were not in the house and that he didn't know there was drinking. He said his neighbors, Lisa and Mike Schuler, claim to have found a considerable number of empty beer cans in their shed and believe the teens consumed the alcohol on their property.

Richmond's claim runs in stark contrast to a text message Rash says he received from a concerned mother.

"One parent in particular was very clear that when she went to drop the kid off to let him go into the party a kid came through the front door with a beer in his hand and she immediately told her son to get back into the car and that he would not participate and that was the text I received," said Rash.

In a written statement, Wednesday, Richmond said:

We were aware that our son and several of his high-school friends recently had gathered around a bonfire near our house, but we were not aware that any violation of team rules were occurring that night. To the extent there may have been, we trust it is being handled accordingly.

In a statement to 9 News Fort Mitchell's police chief, Jeff Eldridge, stated in part:

"The Fort Mitchell Police Department did not receive any calls the night of the alleged incident," Eldridge further stated, "To date, no parent or student or eyewitness has come forward to make a report. At the time that a parent or student should come forward, the Police will officially proceed with creating the report and potentially contacting(sic)the County Attorney's office for handling."