FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2007
Eustis High School reprimanded, fined for violations in boys basketball program
GAINESVILLE – Eustis High School has been penalized by the FHSAA for violations in the sport of boys basketball.
The violations center around a student-athlete who played on Eustis High School's varsity boys basketball team during the 2005-06 school year after attending a summer basketball camp sponsored by the school and participating with the school's boys basketball team in competition during Summer 2005. The violations were self-reported by Eustis High School principal Mike Elchenko in a letter to the FHSAA Office dated Oct. 27, 2006.
A subsequent investigation by the FHSAA found the following:
1. The student-athlete participated in summer athletic activities sponsored by Eustis High School prior to becoming a bona fide student of the school. FHSAA Bylaw 11.1.1 states that a student must be a bona fide student of a school, meaning that the student is regularly enrolled and in regular attendance at the school, before the student can participate in any form of practice or competition with the school. Although the student enrolled in Eustis High School on May 26, 2005, he did not begin attending classes there until Fall 2005.
2. The student-athlete was transported from Leesburg to Eustis on several occasions by a parent of a Eustis High School boys basketball player to participate in the summer athletic activities. The offer or acceptance of free transportation by any person associated with a school is defined as an illegal inducement by the FHSAA Policy on Recruiting.
3. The student-athlete resided with the family of a Eustis High School boys basketball player. The offer or acceptance of a residence with any person associated with a school is defined as an illegal inducement by the FHSAA Policy on Recruiting.
The FHSAA Office also concluded that Eustis High School demonstrated a lack of due diligence by failing to obtain from the FHSAA Office an official eligibility ruling on the student-athlete after concerns about his eligibility were expressed to head boys basketball coach Rob Gordon and athletic director/assistant boys basketball coach Shayne Carey in August 2005 by former Eustis athletic director Van Bracken, now the athletic administrator for Lake County Public Schools.
The investigation found no evidence that Eustis High School personnel or anyone associated with Eustis High School actively recruited or encouraged the student-athlete to attend Eustis High School. Furthermore, the fact that Eustis High School self-reported the violations and cooperated fully with the FHSAA in its investigation were cited as mitigating factors in the school's favor.
The following penalties were imposed in this case:
1. Reprimand.
2. The student-athlete is declared ineligible and Eustis High School is directed to forfeit all interscholastic contests in which the student-athlete participated and all honors won by teams on which the student-athlete participated during the 2005-06 boys basketball season. These honors include the school's District 4A-7 and Region 4A-2 boys basketball championships. This will be denoted on the 2006 FHSAA Class 4A Boys Basketball Championship bracket and in the FHSAA State Boys Basketball Series Records Book.
3. Eustis High School's boys basketball program is placed on administration probation through the conclusion of the 2008-09 school year. Administrative probation is a period of warning during which time additional violations may result in an extension of the probationary period, or the imposition of more severe penalties.
4. The school is fined a total of $5,000 – $2,500 for each of the two violations of the FHSAA Policy on Recruiting.
5. The school is required to reimburse the Association for its expenses incurred during the investigation once they have been compiled.
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 in writing the FHSAA Office if it intends to file an appeal.
About the FHSAAThe Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 750 middle and senior public and private high schools. More information is available at www.fhsaa.org.
Contacts:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org
