Vandalism At Malibu High Not Enough To Darken Football Season Opener

MALIBU (CBSLA.com) — Police Friday were investigating how vandals apparently cut power to the stadium lights at Malibu High School (MHS), authorities said.

KNX 1070's Megan Goldsby reports crews were eventually able to restore power in time for tonight's football season opener.

On Wednesday, maintenance workers discovered the wiring at three of four junction boxes on campus had been cut when the stadium lights wouldn't turn on, according to MHS principal David Jackson.

Officials notified the Sheriff's Department and electricians were called in to repair the approximately 70-foot fixtures, which Jackson says must have been cut sometime between last May - when the lights are taken down for the summer - and Wednesday.

"It could've happened anytime in there," said Jackson.

While it was unclear how much the repairs would cost the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified school district, Jackson said he wasn't about to let petty vandalism ruin the team's season before it even started.

"It's not just the football team, I have a dance team that performs at halftime, I have cheerleaders that perform, I have a drum line," he said. "It's a community affair and we're not going to let vandals stop the normal lives of kids here at Malibu High."

The lights have been controversial in the past with residents who have complained about their brightness.

A lawsuit filed in July 2012 by the Malibu Community Preservation Alliance and the Malibu Township Council forced the school to take down the lights at the start of each summer, according to The Malibu Times.