FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2007
Board approves creation of Infractions Appeals Committee, votes to discontinue state fall soccer series
GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors today approved the creation of an Infractions Appeals Committee to hear appeals of schools challenging findings of major violations and penalties imposed.
The committee was part of a new "Policy on Compliance and Enforcement" that establishes guidelines and procedures for an FHSAA enforcement program. Appointed to the five-member committee were: Naples attorney and former state legislator Dudley Goodlette, who will serve as chairman; Norm Ross, deputy superintendent of Escambia County Public Schools in Pensacola; Dr. Shaun Storch, principal of Lake Howell High School in Winter Park; Brother Angelo Palmieri, superintendent of secondary schools for the Archdiocese of Miami; and Bill Jablon, principal of Maclay School in Tallahassee.
"This committee will provide a means for resolving infractions cases quickly and equitably," said Board of Directors President Richard Finlayson, principal of Aucilla Christian Academy. "It's important to both our public and non-public member schools that we continue to assess and improve the fairness of our enforcement procedures."
The committee will meet five times a year as needed to hear appeals. The first meeting, if needed, will be in February 2008.
In addition, the board approved a recommendation to discontinue the invitational state fall soccer series immediately if 48 schools do not commit to participate in the event, but continue recognition status as long as the requisite number of schools – 32 – sponsors a fall soccer program. As participation in fall soccer has continued to decline, the final number of schools participating in this year's state series was down to 40. The minimum number required for board authorization of an invitational state series is 48.
In other action, the Board of Directors:
• Approved the applicant rating system to be used in the executive director selection process.
• Reviewed proposals to amend FHSAA Bylaws submitted for consideration of the Representative Assembly at its January 14-15, 2008 meeting.
• Appointed Jay Stewart, athletic director of Fort Pierce Central High School, to fill the vacant public school representative seat on the Section 3 Appeals Committee.
• Approved the following appointments to fill vacant seats on the 2008 Representative Assembly: Section 1, Division 2 Public, Tim Jennings, athletic director, Mosley (Lynn Haven); Section 1, Division 4 Public, Reggie Davis, athletic director, Godby (Tallahassee); Section 1, Division 6 Public, Melody Coggin, athletic director, Baker County (Glen St. Mary); Section 1, Divisions 7-8 Private, Ron Pompeo, athletic director, Providence (Jacksonville); Section 2, Division 16 Public, Bry Rankin, athletic director, Edgewater (Orlando); Section 2, Divisions 13-14 Private, Kasey Kesselring, headmaster, Montverde; Section 3, Division 17 Public, Wayne McKnight, assistant principal, Tarpon Springs; Section 3, Division 20 Public, Clyde Metcalf, athletic director, Sarasota; Section 3, Divisions 17-18 Private, Phil Farver, athletic director, Indian Rocks Christian (Largo); Section 3, Divisions 21-22 Private, Gladstone Coke, athletic director, Vanguard (Lake Wales); Section 4, Division 25 Public, Carl Burnside, principal, Dunbar (Fort Myers); Section 4, Division 26 Public, Rob Long, athletic director, Jupiter; Section 4, Division 29 Public, Don Reed, athletic director, Miramar; Section 4, Division 31 Public, Gregory Bethune, assistant principal, Miami Jackson; Section 4, Division 32 Public, Pete Hertler, athletic director, Miami Killian; Section 4, Divisions 27-28 Private, David Ahern, athletic director, St. Andrew’s (Boca Raton); and Section 4, Divisions 25-32 Middle School, Maia Shaffer, athletic director, Hillel (Boca Raton).
• Approved the following officiating fees for lacrosse: regular season varsity game with two officials, $53; regular season varsity game with three officials, $48; regular season junior varsity game with two officials, $45; district tournament game, $56; FHSAA Finals first or second round play-in game, $60; and FHSAA Finals state tournament game, $65.
• Tabled for further review a proposal an amendment to the “Policy on Athletic Recruiting” to clarify that the FHSAA Office will review and determine the legitimacy of financial assistance programs that are not needs-based as they pertain to the eligibility of student-athletes.
• Discussed a proposal from Don Bridges, athletic director for Polk County schools, that would permit schools to schedule an 11th football game if it is against a newly opening public school in the second year of the two-year scheduling cycle.
• Discussed possible disciplinary action that may be taken against schools whose teams leave the bench areas to participate in brawls.
• Discussed the “mandatory forfeiture rule,” which requires a school to forfeit victories from all contests in which an ineligible student-athlete participates regardless of whether such participation was accidental or had little or no impact on the outcome of the contest.
• Reviewed a letter from the Commissioner of Education accepting competitive cheerleading for Title IX gender equity reporting purposes.
• Expelled Hales Academy for Higher Learning (Tamarac) from membership in the Association for the 2007-08 school year for failure to comply with FHSAA policies and procedures.
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 750 middle, junior and senior high schools.
The FHSAA Board of Directors is the executive authority of the Association, establishing guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures within the framework of the Association’s bylaws. The Board of Directors also has the sole authority over all terms and conditions of participation and competition in the FHSAA state championship series. The Board of Directors meets five times annually. Its next meeting is January 27-28, 2008 at the Robert W. Hughes FHSAA Building in Gainesville.
Contact:
Robert Hernberger
Director of Media Relations, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 190
rhernberger@fhsaa.org
