Controversy over the arrest of South Pittsburgh football player

SCOTTSBORO, Alabama (WDEF) —  The arrest of a 17-year old standout football player from South Pittsburg High School is causing major controversy, and now that controversy may lead to a visit from civil rights activist Jessie Jackson.

News 12 normally does not show or identify juvenile suspects, but in this case, Donna McQueen gave News 12 permission to identify her son Dylan McQueen.

Miss McQueen McQueen is very concerned about how her son has been treated by the Jackson County Alabama Court System.

“I just feel like the things that are happening here are all wrong. It needs to stop,” she said.

Dylan McQueen is a star football player at South Pittsburg High with a 3.7 grade point average. He used to be a stand out player at Scottsboro, but this past summer he was arrested with a couple of other teenagers and charged with home invasion. His mother says he drove the other teens to the victim’s home, but had no idea the other teens were committing a crime inside that home.

When he bonded out of jail, his mother filed motions in court so that he could move with her across state lines and attend school in South Pittsburg. The motions were denied and a warrant was issued for his arrest when the court found out he was now living in Tennessee while awaiting his day in court.

“The word got out that the warrant had been issued, which you know, granted my child is 17, he’s a juvenile. These are adults just bashing my child and I will not have it,” Miss McQueen said.

She told News 12 that she thinks someone within the courthouse leaked the warrant information to the public because he was now the star athlete for another high school program that wasn’t in Scottsboro.

“He was an all-star athlete here and then when this happened the town just kind of turned on him, so I think it’s just basically small town politics playing a part of it,” she said.

Dylan’s mom was initially not allowed to see him in jail. That prompted Chattanooga pastor Kevin Adams along with the NAACP to get involved.

“He has been given legal documents to sign at 17-years old with no representation,” Adams said.

Adams went on to say that he has civil rights activist Jessie Jackson has been informed about the case.

“We’ve talked to Rev. Jackson this morning. He’s talking about getting here in the next couple of days and appealing to the Supreme Court,” Adams said.

By late Thursday afternoon, a judge allowed Dylan McQueen to be released from jail, but he will not be allowed to leave Alabama.

He’s due back in court next Monday.