OKVarsity.com - 40 athletes found ineligible at Booker T Washington

November 5, 2009

Justin Mitchell
OKVarsity.com Publisher

Tulsa area high schools have been hit hard by eligibility and recruiting scandals over the past few months.

In September, Jenks saw it's head coach and athletic director reprimanded after it was found that Jarrett Lake, an Oklahoma commit, had been living in the district illegally.

Just last week, Booker T. Washington forfeited two district football games and 13 varsity softball games after it was found that six student athletes were ineligible due to transfer violations.

But the problems may be just beginning for Booker T. after the situation became a scandal on Wednesday when the district announced that an additional 37 student athletes were found academically ineligible.

The findings will likely require additional forfeits of games played this year, not only in football and softball but also in volleyball and cross country.

Five school officials were reprimanded during an after school meeting at Booker T. Washington on Wednesday afternoon, including high school principal Micheal Johnson, who requested an immediate transfer to another high school in the school district.

"I appreciate Mr. Johnson's reassignment request which is in the best interest of Booker T. Washington," Area superintendent of High Schools Kevin Burr said in a written statement released by the school. "We will move swiftly to appoint an interim principal and we will take great care to attract the highest caliber administrator capable of leading this great school into the future."

The violations were brought to light following an internal investigation by Tulsa Public Schools that revealed that the athletic staff at Booker T. had not followed OSSAA regulations that require member schools to begin eligibility checks beginning on September 14th. The checks did not begin until October 12th.

In the release, Burr acknowledged in the release that the decision by Booker T. officials not to enforce academic eligibility requirements not only gave the Hornets an advantage but also put the other schools that compete against the northern Tulsa high school at a definite disadvantage.

"We are aware of our responsibilities to our honorable association with the OSSAA," Burr said. "Allowing ineligible athletes to participate put BTW at a competitive advantage to other member schools that chose to participate by the guidelines we all agreed to. We have a responsibility to athletes of competing schools as well as our own."

In light of the changes at the high school due to the violations, the district also announced the hiring of former Booker T. and University of Oklahoma assistant coach Mike Mims as assistant principal over athletics. The two athletic directors were replaced by baseball coaches John Potocnik and Jason Doctor.

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