Nov. 14, 2005 -- Landstown Appeals Use of Ineligible 

PRESS RELEASE

L. C. Bird Appeals Decision

Nov. 10, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Citing a desire to hold the appropriate parties accountable, the Virginia High School League Executive Committee voted 5-0 on Wednesday, Nov. 10, to modify the penalty assessed to L.C. Bird High School for use of an ineligible player in football games played earlier this year by waiving four forfeitures and increasing fines from $100 to $2,500. 

The determination that the school had used an ineligible player was made in a hearing on Thursday, Nov. 4, and announced on Monday, Nov. 8.  Wednesday’s decision does not overturn the decision that the player was ineligible.

The League Handbook states that the penalty for use of an ineligible player is forfeiture of any game in which the player participated and a $100 fine, although the Handbook also gives the Executive Committee the power to sustain, enlarge or reduce penalties.  In the hearing Wednesday, L.C. Bird was appealing the standard League penalty. 

As a result of this action, L.C. Bird will get credit for wins over Thomas Dale, Huguenot, Manchester and Midlothian in games previously announced as forfeitures. 

In addition to the $2,500 fine, the school must submit a plan of action for correcting reporting procedures and the principal and athletic director must attend the next VHSL area eligibility meeting.   

The student had sought a transfer from Manchester High School to L.C. Bird this summer, and both school principals had approved the transfer as being for non-athletic reasons.  However, the superintendent did not formally approve the transfer, a requirement for VHSL eligibility, until Oct. 18. 

In explaining their decision, members of the appeals committee said there were extenuating circumstances in a very unique case that called for modifying the standard penalties.  The decision by the Executive Committee is final.       

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PRESS RELEASE

L. C. Bird Appeals Decision

Nov. 4, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia High School League Executive Committee voted 3-1 on Thursday, Nov. 4, to sustain an appeal by Huguenot High School, thus finding that L. C. Bird High School used an ineligible player in football games played prior to October 18, when Chesterfield County Schools Superintendent Billy Cannaday formally waived the VHSL Transfer Rule for the student in question.  At the request of the schools involved, an announcement regarding the decision was delayed until today.

As a result of this action, L. C. Bird must forfeit four football games – to Thomas Dale, Huguenot, Manchester and Midlothian – it had won and in which the ineligible player participated.  The school is also subject to a $100 fine.  Both penalties may be appealed by the school, and L. C. Bird has indicated it will appeal the penalty.   A hearing on that appeal is expected later this week.

The student had sought a transfer from Manchester High School to L. C. Bird this summer, and both school principals had approved the transfer as being for non-athletic reasons.  However, the transfer was never formally approved by the superintendent, which is a requirement for VHSL eligibility.  There was never an issue of retroactive eligibility, as some have maintained.

“The League must be careful to apply not just the spirit or intent of a rule, but also the letter of the regulations,” said VHSL Executive Director Ken Tilley.  “The requirements must be followed con-sistently for all students and all member schools, and that is what has been done in this case.

“Unfortunately, the consequences can be severe and can be detrimental to an entire team.  But if the penalty were not severe, there would probably be more violations and less care taken in checking eligibility.  And if the regulations were not strictly enforced, we would not be serving all schools in a fair and consistent manner.”

Over the past four years, there have been an average of approximately two dozen cases each year where a school has used an ineligible student.

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