EAST PROVIDENCE — Whether it’s freezing outside or desert-hot, they walk beside the marching band holding water bottles to keep students hydrated.

They carry emergency tape and travel-size sewing kits for malfunctioning uniforms.

Those are just some of the manual labor jobs the Friends of East Providence High School Band members perform. They are also behind the scenes, filling in the financial gaps when district money falls short of the music program’s needs — team building trips, overtime for janitors and band banquet costs.

But since early October, the nonprofit organization of mostly parents has been barred from participating in band activities while the school district performs an audit of its finances.

School Supt. Mario Cirillo said there have been repeated allegations of improper conduct, mismanagement, misappropriation of funds and possible fraudulent use of funds.

The superintendent’s Oct. 9 letter to Denise Ensign, president of Friends, said he was suspending all connections with the group until his staff conducts a thorough review that could last one to three weeks into November. He said school facilities and personnel will not be provided to the organization, and members can only participate as parents in the interim.

The group’s problems have made their way onto the Facebook Web site where students and band parents have expressed their opinions. One student was even suspended for 10 days for a “threat” she made on the site, Cirillo said.

“It is a travesty that the situation has deteriorated to this point,” Cirillo said in a second letter. “I am truly saddened to see an organization that was created to assist the high school band program devolve into a group of adults whose actions are diminishing the quality of the band program for all children involved.”

Some say the catalyst for the turmoil is a faction within the group.

They describe the division as the board and some members who favor the marching band over flag corps and other bands — such as concert and jazz — versus members loyal to the bylaws that call for the group to raise funds for the benefit of all instrumental music groups and the flag corps, and to assist the band directors with all aspects of the program.

Others say it’s too many band moms wanting control and not enough communication, restraint and common sense to leave the students out of the mess or to put the students first.

School officials became aware of the trouble when Cirillo announced in September that the marching band would only participate in parades and home games. He said he wouldn’t send them to the five away games because he had heard some members found it too difficult to participate and keep up with schoolwork and the new graduation requirements.

Although Cirillo changed his mind, he had a host of new complaints: parents not feeling welcome at the organization’s meetings, unpaid invoices, missing money, marching band favoritism, a lack of an established budget and a previous refusal to release funds to the fine arts director to repair instruments and buy new music.

“To the best of my knowledge, all money is accounted for,” said Laurie Sepe, first vice president of the organization.

After seeking legal advice, Sepe and three of the six board members sent a letter stating they “found the accusations both slanderous and unfounded.” They said the district didn’t have the authority to audit the group, but eventually dropped off copies of its financial documents.

In defense of the Facebook activity, which she participated in, Sepe said, “None of the kids were being malicious. They were angry [about the away games being cut]. These are not the kids that get in trouble. They thought Facebook was a forum to vent with friends. It was a tough lesson they all learned.”

She said the few students who didn’t want to march at away games are now being harassed and the disrespect being shown to the band director and others is “appalling.”

“I have never seen [the Friends] group like this before,” said Ensign, who previously had children in the school’s band program. “We have a responsibility, and I’m just beside myself with all of this. We should be enjoying the children and enjoying the program, right now. Instead, it’s nothing but turmoil, demise, slander and gossip.”

Cirillo said, “Even though it is very unpleasant to go and investigate a group of parents who do an awful lot of good, the potential for impropriety … the two warring camps of adults that are affecting these kids in a negative way … you just can’t let that fester. You have to deal with it.”

apina@projo.com