The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has handed down sanctions to Cordia High School following a nearly yearlong investigation for violations of KHSAA bylaws including Bylaw 1 (Responsibility of Eligibility), Bylaw 4 (Enrollment Requirements), Bylaw 6 (Transfer Rule-Citizens of the U.S. or U.S. Territories), Bylaw 7 (Transfer Rule-Foreign Exchange Students), Bylaw 11 (Financial Aid), Bylaw 16 (Recruitment/Undue Influence), Bylaw 23 (Limitation of Season) and Bylaw 25 (Requirements for Coaches).
Among the penalties imposed by the Commissioner are:
Suspension of the Cordia HS boys’ basketball team from playing scrimmages or contests during the 2014-15 regular and postseason, as well as the 2016 postseason. During its suspension, the school would be permitted to conduct regular season practices from October 15 until the first allowable day for district tournament play. Included in this penalty is a stipulation that representatives of the boys’ basketball team with eligibility remaining may transfer to specific KHSAA member schools without penalty;
Forfeiture of all boys’ basketball games from the 2013-14 season for the use of at least one ineligible player in all games. The score will be recorded as 2-0 for all games which Cordia won, and the game score will remain the same for losses but will be noted as forfeits;
Probation for Cordia’s interscholastic athletic program through the 2018-19 season. With this probation, Cordia will be placed on conditional membership, with its membership status to be reviewed at the end of the 2014-15 school year to determine whether its membership should continue to be recommended for approval by the Board of Control beginning with the 2015-16 season. Also as part of its probation, all Cordia coaches and athletic administrators shall be required to attend an in-service workshop in Lexington, conducted by the KHSAA staff concerning Association Bylaws and Kentucky law that affects interscholastic athletics during the 2014-15 school year. Additionally, an Assistant Commissioner will also be assigned to work directly with the Superintendent of schools and the Principal of Cordia to ensure development of policies, procedures and best practices to be implemented in the athletic program;
Suspension of two members of the Cordia HS boys’ basketball coaching staff from the 2014-15 postseason boys’ basketball tournaments sanctioned by KHSAA.
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An aggregate fine of $25,980 for various infractions per the fine schedule in Bylaw 27.
“The majority of the aforementioned violations are clearly indicative of a school without any appreciable level of institutional control over its athletic program. While some violations date back to the 2010-2011 school year, the major violations occurred during the past twelve to twenty-four months. The violations in previous years, however, add context and it is my conclusion that they illustrate an undeniable pattern of practice and culture of noncompliance that has been allowed to evolve at Cordia,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett in his communication to the school. “Unfortunately, after this long and careful review, this series of events may well represent the most wanton and blatant disregard for Association rules in its 97 year history. There is apparently no person within the school or school system willing to actively and aggressively control and manage the athletic program. Therefore, students have been allowed an unrestricted privilege of participation without compliance with applicable and appropriate rules.
“Participation in interscholastic athletics has long been recognized as a privilege and not a right. This is an important distinction. With this privilege comes responsibility. A theme throughout this matter has been the participation, whether at practice or competition, of ineligible student-athletes,” added Tackett. “The participation by any ineligible students may have affected the outcome of those games. Moreover, participation by an ineligible student-athlete potentially jeopardizes coverage under the KHSAA’s catastrophic insurance policy that is provided for all student-athletes. The collective Association of member schools, including Cordia, have agreed to abide by the Bylaws of the KHSAA which are indisputable when the knowledge is there to prevent an ineligible player from participating.”
During the course of its investigation, the KHSAA found sufficient evidence that representatives of the athletic program, including representatives of the Lotts Creek Community School who are inextricably related to both the school and its athletic program, committed violations of KHSAA bylaws, many of which were acknowledged by the school, including:
Falsifying records, or maintaining inaccurate records with regards to living arrangements of transferring student-athletes;
Allowing a staff member to lease housing to the family of a student-athlete without ever receiving payment;
Impermissible contact with multiple student-athletes with the intent to sway them to enroll at Cordia for the purpose of competing in athletics;
Providing free transportation to relocate a student from an out-of-state school;
Providing plane tickets on two separate occasions to a student-athlete so he could travel out-of-state;
Facilitating housing for a student-athlete at no cost to him or his family;
Providing money and clothes to student-athletes;
Conducting tryouts for non-enrolled students;
Paying the entire cost of education for two students on an F-1 exchange VISA to attend Cordia;
Providing housing to numerous students that participated on the boys’ basketball team, as well as housing for their families;
Allowing ineligible players to practice and compete in contests before they were cleared to participate;
Requiring players to attend practice prior to the official start date for preseason practice (October 15), and disciplining students who missed these practice sessions;
Holding “open gym” practices that were limited to the boys’ basketball team and thus mandatory, following the elimination from the postseason; and
Failing to properly monitor the coaching requirements for individuals coaching in the boys’ basketball program, including the obligation to complete the legislatively mandated Sports Safety Course. These violations included a 30-day period during the 2013-14 season when no member of the coaching staff met the requirements of Bylaw 25.
Cordia has thirty (30) days to appeal the ruling to the KHSAA Board of Control. The KHSAA will have no further comment on this matter. All inquiries should be directed to Cordia High School or the Superintendent of the Knott County Schools.
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