A high school athletic director in northern Virginia is under investigation for allegedly exploiting homelessness to boost the football team's roster, falsely classifying two transfer students as "homeless" to facilitate their recruitment.
The Fairfax County Times reported it obtained a series of text messages implicating Hayfield Secondary School athletic director Monty Fritts in a plan to exploit homelessness loopholes to recruit players.
The texts imply Fritts planned to use homelessness—a status meant to protect vulnerable students—as a tool for athletic gain. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 protects homeless students, including granting them the right to automatically enroll in a school, the newspaper reported.
The act guarantees the right to a free and appropriate public education for homeless students, regardless of their living situation. It mandates homeless students can enroll in school immediately, without unnecessary delays, and they retain the right to stay in their original school, even if they move to a new location.
In messages obtained by the outlet, Fritts wrote, "Rumor is we getting about 10 new starters." In another message, he added, "There would need to be some change, but if they're homeless, nothing can happen."
An unidentified person replied, "True, just better to be homeless."
A different message from Fritts revealed, "I like to win and make money."
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said the messages were "turned over to our internal and external legal counsel for review, and to thoroughly investigate, which takes time."
Fritts will officially step down from his role on December 2, marking the first resignation in the illegal football player recruitment scandal in Fairfax County Public Schools.
However, parents and community members are calling for the resignation of Superintendent Reid, Hayfield Principal Darin Thompson, and Hayfield football Coach Darryl Overton for allegedly covering up actions leading to the school system withdrawing Hayfield from the state football playoffs, the outlet reported.
"My decision to withdraw the Hayfield Hawks from the playoffs was made with students at the center. This decision was not made lightly but deemed necessary to uphold the integrity of the athletic program," Superintendent Reid said in a statement on Tuesday. "We have critical work ahead to provide clarity and to prevent something like this from happening again. I acknowledge public trust has been damaged and we have work to repair it."
Newsweek reached out to Superintendent Reid regarding the scandal, however, she has not yet responded.
The Fairfax County Times reported Superintendent Reid negotiated a one-year playoff ban for Hayfield instead of two after the Virginia High School League sanctioned the school for recruitment violations. Reid rejected the settlement after in-house counsel John Foster advised the district could win an appeal.
After losing the appeal, Hayfield parents hired external counsel John Cafferky, who successfully argued in Fairfax County Circuit Court to restore the team's right to participate in the playoffs.
Newsweek contacted Cafferky regarding the case, but he has not yet responded.
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