Here's the article from the Journal Star.
What led to the sanctions? - IHSA details fan misconduct, hate speech; PND denies allegations in 2025 match
October 20, 2026 | Peoria Journal Star, The (IL)
Author/Byline: Adam Duvall; Peoria Journal Star | Page: A1 | Section: News
1836 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1320, grade level(s): >12
PEORIA - The Peoria Notre Dame boys soccer team is getting ready for the postseason after spending the entire 2026 season on probation imposed by the Illinois High School Association.
Those IHSA sanctions stemmed from an official's special report citing allegations of hate speech and PND fan misconduct during a 2025 playoff match. Peoria Notre Dame told the Journal Star it disagrees with the IHSA's ruling and disputes the official's version of events.
"The IHSA can confirm that there was an investigation into this incident following a special report being filed with our office," the state's prep sports governing body said in a statement to the Journal Star. "After talking to the game officials and schools involved, sanctions were implemented on the Peoria Notre Dame soccer program for the 2026 boys soccer season.
"We are not providing specific details on the sanctions at this time but are confident that the school is taking this situation very seriously and is working to ensure a similar situation does not occur again."
According to the IHSA, past sanctions against schools in similar incidents occur a "handful of times each year," and have included suspensions of players and coaches, the inability to host postseason events for periods of time or probationary status.
Notre Dame conducted its own investigation and provided the results to the IHSA. PND released a statement to the Journal Star on Oct. 6 through Mitch Gilfillan. The PND attorney presided over the school's IHSA appeal, which was denied in April.
"PND takes all allegations of hate speech seriously. While we disagree with the IHSA's decision to place PND's soccer team on probation, we respect the IHSA and have faithfully (moved) forward. For this claim, our position is corroborated by video and audio evidence which does not reflect what was allegedly said.
"To this day, no one can identify anyone who made such a comment. Moreover, the Moline Police Department was standing with the PND fan base and confirmed there was normal heckling throughout the game and never heard any inappropriate language or racial slurs directed at anyone. That was critical to our investigation, and we are grateful for the police department's honesty."
The Journal Star reviewed video and audio of the match in question and via the Freedom of Information Act obtained the official's special report and other emails from the parties involved in the playoff match.
Official wanted the crowd removed
Peoria Notre Dame traveled to Moline for a Class 3A regional title match against Normal Community on Oct. 24, 2025.
Tensions began to escalate in the first half of the game, according to the official's special report obtained by the Journal Star through a FOIA request filed with the Moline-Coal Valley School District.
Center official Jeannine Omerza alleged PND fans directed a racial slur toward a Normal Community player who scored a goal, and a game official.
"Tonight, I officiated a game and had to write a unique report dealing with racial slurs and such," Omerza wrote in an email, containing her special report and noting in the special report that "4 other players from Normal Community reported to me this was said and a few Peoria players also reported that they thought something was said but didn't know what happened."
The match was paused while the official tried to address the issue.
PND athletics director Dave Rudolph and Moline AD Todd Thompson were summoned by Omerza to move the crowd from "sight and sound" of the match. According to the special report, Rudolph initially "refused to help" deal with the PND fans. When he eventually agreed to help, Rudolph only moved the PND fans a short distance, allowing them to remain within view as well as earshot of the field.
The Journal Star reviewed the footage of the match, including its audio. The video and accompanying audio are captured from the press box just off midfield. But it doesn't show Omerza attempting to call for Rudolph during the first-half portion of stoppage described in the special report. It also doesn't capture Omerza's alleged request for Rudolph to help relocate the crowd at that time.
Omerza's special report identifies the alleged perpetrators as PND spectators.
The Journal Star's review of the match video shows that the descriptions of the person or people who allegedly used the racial slur changed during the match.
At approximately 49 minutes into the video, Omerza is seen running over to the teams' sideline.
"I've got parents shouting obscenities," she said, on the video. "... Either we get these parents under control or I'm clearing the whole, the whole spectator side."
The video's audio could be clearly heard, and portions were as follows:
"You just let us know who it is, we'll get rid of them," an unidentified voice off camera says to Omerza.
"If somebody wants to go and stand over there," Omerza said.
"We have security and two police officers over there," the same unidentified voice off-camera replies.
Roughly 13 minutes later in the video and with play stopped following a Normal Community goal, Omerza is heard saying, "We can't have any racial slurs. It was a racial slur. ... Normal scored. The celebration happened in the corner. Again, I'm watching there. A group of gentlemen used a racial slur, called them a (expletive). We can't have that. I already have to write this up in a report to IHSA. I'm not pleased. It's not fair to be targeting a player - doesn't matter what color, so we'll reset. We are dealing with them. They will be escorted off the premises and then we'll just get started."
Omerza then reported that PND fan behavior intensified as the match progressed. Her special report says members of the PND crowd repeatedly directed derogatory comments at officials and players and offers examples:
"We need a new center official who isn't a female."
"Referee, the game isn't about you, let the boys play."
"Referee you (expletive) suck. How did you get this game."
In the second half, following a foul that resulted in an injury to a Normal Community player, spectators again made an inappropriate comment toward a hurt player, according to the official's special report:
"Get his (expletive) up and play soccer."
'Clear the spectators, or I can abandon the match'
Play was then halted for a second time, resulting in Omerza's request to remove all spectators.
The official says Rudolph and PND head coach Mike Bare refused to comply, according to the special report. Omerza then gave two options - "Clear the spectators, or I can abandon the match."
The identity of the person or people who allegedly used the racial slur is one of the central unresolved issues of the special report.
With play stopped and at approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes into the video, Omerza and Rudolph engaged in a conversation about fan removal that was picked up by the video's audio:
"It's unfortunate you have not heard (the racial slur)," Omerza was heard to say. "I've heard it. Players from both sides have heard it, so we are done (with the fans)."
"If you know which student of mine said that I will remove them myself," Rudolph said.
"It's not students," Omerza replied. "It's parents, so we are done. They've lost their privilege to be here. We are to clear the sides and not to resume this game until it's done. ... Again, to have ND parents calling racial slurs to the other parents and myself is not acceptable."
"What parent said it?" Rudolph responded.
"There's parents on the corners (of the field)," Omerza said. "... They've all moved but there was a gal."
"I'm an admin from the school," Rudolph continued.
"I understand that," Omerza said, "and I know you've been over there (by the fans) and not been dealing with it."
"Can I tell you my perspective?" Rudolph said.
"You can tell perspective," Omerza said. "But the perspective that I have as the authority of this game, we will not start this game until all of these fans are gone."
No individual was ultimately identified during the exchange between Omerza and Rudolph.
Three minutes later on the video, Bare is seen walking toward the fans sideline. Omerza is heard saying the match will be abandoned if the request to remove fans isn't obeyed, causing Bare to turn around and address her.
"Give us a second," Bare said on the video. "We're complying."
"I know, I know," Omerza replied. "I'm saying if we're not going to comply then we will abandon the match."
This exchange contradicts Omerza's special report that Rudolph and Bare refused her request of removing spectators. The video instead shows Bare moving toward the PND crowd after the order was given, then explicitly telling the official that the school was obeying her directive. Then he appears to say something to the PND fans, who react with cheers but ultimately, leave.
The Journal Star's review of the video does not independently establish whether that alleged slur was uttered during the portion of the match when the original incident reportedly occurred. The video does, however, show that the person or people who allegedly used the racial slur was never identified but changed during the match - from a "group of gentlemen," to "parents" and eventually to "a gal."
Thompson, who is the Moline AD, and on-site police officers herded the crowd "outside the premises," Omerza's special report read.
Thompson seemed to agree with the official's view of PND's conduct in an email to the IHSA administration.
"PND was an absolute mess on the fan side of the game," Thompson wrote in an email to IHSA executive director Craig Anderson and assistant executive director Beth Sauser obtained by the Journal Star through a FOIA request filed with the Moline-Coal Valley School District. "... I have never witnessed or been a part of a situation like this before but it all falls back to the fact there are no consequences for the way PND coaching staff, fans, and administration acts towards anyone with authority.
"Instead of reacting the way Normal Community (who did nothing wrong) did and followed the directions of the game official the PND AD once again wanted to negotiate with the official just like he asked me to do (did not agree) and with the IHSA (agreed to overturn). I would imagine that the center official will be making her own report to the IHSA and would not be surprised if Normal Community also makes a report."
Thompson had expressed concern to the IHSA about PND's behavior, adding extra security and even requesting a PND assistant coach to remain on the fans sidelines after his behavior in a previous match, the regional semifinal.
Normal Community held on to win the regional final, 4-3.
Peoria Notre Dame enters the 2026 postseason with a 15-1-3 overall record and opens play at the Class 2A Orion Regional on Wednesday, Oct. 21 as the top seed.
The program's probation period ends in early November when the season concludes.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at
[email protected]. Follow him on Twitter
@AdamDuvall.
Caption: Peoria Notre Dame High School, in an Oct. 6 statement to the Journal Star, said it disagreed with the IHSA's allegations and move to place the school's boys' soccer team on probation in response to its 2025 playoff match.
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