FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2006; updated August 3, 2007
FHSAA penalizes Nease High School for major violations in football program
GAINESVILLE – Nease High School of Ponte Vedra Beach has been penalized for major violations committed by its football program. The school has been reprimanded, fined $20,000, its football program placed on six years of restrictive probation, and the school's entire athletic program placed on five years of administrative probation. The penalties will not affect the school's eligibility for participation in the 2006 FHSAA Class 4A Football Championship.
The penalties are in response to violations of multiple provisions of Association regulations, which prohibit the offer of inducements to student-athletes who attend a school. The violations were committed by two non-faculty assistant football coaches and involved the same one student-athlete, who is a first-year member of the school's varsity football team.
The school currently is serving administration probation for violations in its baseball program.
The FHSAA Office was notified of the potential violations on October 31 by the St. Johns County School District. An FHSAA field investigator visited the school on November 2 and submitted his report to the FHSAA Office the following day. The school was notified in writing of the Commissioner's findings and the assessed penalties on November 6.
The investigation determined that three specific violations of the FHSAA Board policy prohibiting inducements were committed.
1. The student-athlete's father was offered and accepted employment with a company owned by Assistant Coach "A". This employment arrangement was made prior to the student registering to attend the school. FHSAA Board policy prohibits the offer or acceptance of employment of parent(s) or guardian(s) in order to entice the family to move to a certain community if any person associated with the school makes the offer. After meeting with Assistant Coach "A" and his attorney and the Association's attorney, the FHSAA Office found that the violation of the FHSAA Board Policy 38(C)(2)(i) was unintentional based on lack of knowledge of the policy.
2. The student-athlete and his father were offered and accepted residence with Assistant Coach "B". This living arrangement was made prior to the student registering to attend the school. FHSAA Board policy prohibits the offer or acceptance of a residence with any person associated with a school.
3. The student-athlete has been transported to and from school by Assistant Coach "B" on numerous occasions. FHSAA Board policy prohibits the offer or acceptance of free transportation by any person associated with a school.
"We take these violations very seriously," Commissioner John A. Stewart said. "The school's head football coach admitted to our investigator that he was aware of the arrangements between these two assistant coaches and the student-athlete's father. Furthermore, the violations occurred while the school already is on probation for violations in another sport. This raises serious questions about the level of control, if any, the school's administration has over its athletic program. We hope the severity of the penalties, which include the single largest fine in the Association's history, will be an attention-getter."
The following penalties were imposed in this case:
1. The school is publicly reprimanded.
2. The school's football program is placed on restrictive probation for six years, beginning immediately and continuing through the 2011-12 school year. During this six-year period the school's football program is restricted as follows:
• Prohibition on participation in any fall jamboree or spring jamboree;
• Prohibition on participation in any fall classic game or spring classic game;
• Prohbition on participation in games that take place outside the state of Florida;
• Prohibition on participation in games against out-of-state opponents; and
• Prohibition on participation in games televised during the regular season.
3. The school is fined $20,000 (twenty thousand dollars).
4. The entire school's athletic program is placed on administrative probation for five years. Any violation by any segment of the school's athletic program during this period of probation will subject the school to even more severe penalties.
FHSAA bylaws ensure the school’s right to appeal the Commissioner’s findings, as well as the penalties assessed. The school has 10 business days to notify the FHSAA Office in writing if it intends to file such an appeal. Any appeal will be heard by the Association's Board of Directors.
| After discovering new information, we want to amend our findings originally released on November 6, 2006, and revised on November 7, 2006. Upon further review, we have determined that we can find no evidence that violation number 3 actually occurred (regarding Rule 38(C)(2)(i) Offer of Employment by Coach "A"). We are editing our findings and eliminating that portion of our findings and final report with respect to Allen D. Nease High School. Further, we are sorry that an interview with Coach "A" did not occur prior to issuing this finding and that he was implicated. |
About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle, junior and senior high schools.
Contacts:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org
