OSSAA Imposes No Further Penalties On Booker T. Washington

NewsOn6.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – Booker T. Washington will not see any further penalties from the Oklahoma Secondary School Athletic Association. During executive session Wednesday, the board also voted to accept all of the BTW penalties Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard recommended to the O.S.S.A.A.

“Whether you say you did or didn’t know the rules, the rules were violated. Regardless of intent, regardless of lack of knowledge, it doesn’t matter,” said TPS athletic director and OSSAA board president Dr. Stephanie Spring. “The fact of the matter is the rules weren’t followed and that the penalties had to be imposed.”

A Tulsa Public Schools investigation revealed Booker T. had violated state recruiting and residency rules. Five football players and one softball player were ruled ineligible. About a week later, TPS also discovered Booker T. didn't check grades to make sure athletes were eligible to participate for four weeks.

That meant 37 more Hornets in four sports - softball, volleyball, cross country and football -participated when they shouldn't have. Academic ineligibility will strip the Hornet volleyball team of a regional championship.

And 16 ineligible athletes played in one football game earlier this month.

“We were constantly saying, ‘oh my gosh, what’s the next thing we can find?’ Because we didn’t anticipate anything beyond what the initial phone call,” said Kevin Burr, TPS High School Superintendent.

Read the eligibility report from TPS.

Here is a partial list of the penalties Dr. Ballard recommended to the O.S.S.A.A.:

• Varsity football forfeits two games this season; against Pryor and Hale

• Three JV football games forfeited from the 2009 season.

• 9th grade football forfeits 5 games

• Varsity softball forfeits 13 games from the 2009 season

• The 2009 All City Softball Championship will be vacated by Booker T. Washington

• Head football coach and athletic director Antwain Jimmerson removed from all football activities at both BTW and TPS

• Assistant athletic director Ioder "Butch" Fisher voluntarily resigned from his athletic department position

• Assistant football coach Scott Gilkey removed from all football and track activities at both BTW and TPS

• Softball coach Brian Howell placed on probation

• Principal Micheal Johnson removed from all involvement in BTW athletics

Read the complete Booker T. Washington investigation report.

The coaches will be allowed to attend athletic events, but only as spectators. They will also forfeit the extra pay they would have received as part of their extra-duty contracts.

11/5/2009 Related story: Eligibility Scandal Rocks Booker T. Washington

For more on this story go to OKBlitz.com.