Fremont District RE-1 has canceled a Cañon City High School football game after it learned that a group of players were implicated in a nude photo scandal at the city’s high school, according to a release sent by the district on Wednesday.

Student reports and anonymous tips to the district’s Safe2Tell program started an investigation into rumors of students taking and passing along nude and semi-nude photos of themselves.

A large number of the accused students are on the Cañon City High football team, which was scheduled to play at Discovery Canyon on Saturday. A win would have guaranteed Cañon City a playoff spot, said George Welsh, the district’s superintendent.

The Cañon City Police Department has begun an investigation into the nude photo ring. CCPD told the school that its first course of action would be to determine if any adults were involved, which could prompt criminal charges.

Police will also investigate if any of the photos were coerced, another action that could trigger criminal charges.

Because of the investigation, the school decided to cancel Friday’s game, an action that would regrettably punish kids on the team who were not involved in the investigation, Welsh said.

“It’s not fair for every player on the team in regards to the football situation,” he said. “I would just say there were kids who did not participate in this in any way, who are just unfortunately suffering from the consequences.”

Fremont RE-1 serves 3,800 kids in eight schools, Welsh said.

Click here for the school’s statement.