As of 12 p.m. Friday, 45 Tahoma High School student-athletes have been suspended from participating in any games or contests for being involved in a party that occurred last weekend.

Fourteen of those athletes were football players. But, the game tonight against Camas will still be played, said Kevin Patterson, spokesperson for the Tahoma School District.

“We have enough players to fill the team,” he said.

Patterson said the King County Sheriff’s Office informed the school on Monday, Nov. 3 that some student-athletes were at a party on Oct. 31 where alcohol and/or drugs were involved. Authorities are unsure whether any athletes were consuming any alcohol or drugs, but according to the school’s athletic code, it doesn’t matter.

Patterson said if student-athletes are just attending a party where alcohol and drugs are present, it’s a violation of the athletic code that every athlete must sign before participating in any sport.

The length of suspension from their sport varies based on the degree of violation. In this case, Patterson said most of the students will likely have to forfeit about 25 percent of their season. For football (a 10-game season), that means the suspended players will have to sit on the sidelines for 2.5 games.

The punishment will differ for the other athletes involved because their season may have more or fewer games.

So far, they have suspended four girls soccer players, two boys soccer players, twelve cheerleaders, two softball players, four wrestlers and seven baseball players.

Even though some of the students may not be playing their sport at the time of the suspension, they will still have to sit out for a period of time when their season rolls around.

Patterson also said that there may be some students suspended from school, not just athletics, in connection with this. But, they won’t be suspended for just attending a party, he said.

The school is investigating threats that have occurred over social media that were allegedly sent by students involved in the party. The threats, Patterson said, are directed toward whoever “turned them in.”

A letter explaining the investigation and suspensions was sent to all parents and families of Tahoma High School students Thursday afternoon.

“It is disappointing that these students made poor choices affecting both themselves and their teammates,” Principal Terry Duty said in the letter. “Our student-athletes are well aware of the Tahoma School District Athletic Code and the consequences of these poor choices. We hope this will be a lifelong lesson for our entire school, both those who choose to attend the parties and those who elect to do the right thing and not attend. We have been overwhelmed with support from our school community and students who applaud the consequences for students who knowingly disregard the rules designed to protect them.”