OSG High: Another Dallas ISD Coach Fired After Twitter Threat

((HT: WFAA-TV))

OSG Sports chronicled the fallout of a massive recruiting scandal involving the Dallas Independent School District. It went further than that with the catalyst being the death of a basketball player who was beaten to death by a housemate. The two students were positioned to live in a house that was not in the school district of either player. A DISD investigation confirmed the forging of eligibility documents to hide the fact that the students were only living in the house without their parents to play basketball...

And nothing else...which is a huge no-no around the world...

It ended with 15 coaches, administrators, and DISD front office personnel being fired- or, at least, the HQ thought it was over...

In one of the dumbest moves on record, the brother of two of the fired went after the WFAA-TV reporter, Brett Causey, who filed the investigation stories via Twitter. The brother is the two fired is now one of the fired by the DISD.

Here's the fallout after the threat...
Interesting note: WFAA-TV did an investigation of Snoop Johnson and his high school program back in 2012 that was along the same lines. Johnson, of course, denied the allegations.

OSG High BREAKING: Dallas ISD Fires 15 After Recruiting Scandal

((HT: DallasNews.com/Haag-Hobbs))

The Dallas Independent School District’s Professional Standards Office launched an investigation into possible illegal recruiting practices after the March 24 death of Wilmer-Hutchins basketball player Troy Causey. Madison basketball player Johnathan Turner has been charged with killing him during a fight.

They were living under the same roof, but neither were living in the district of the school that they were attending to play high school basketball.

In May, DISD officials placed the two head coaches — John Burley, from Wilmer-Hutchins High School, and Roderick Johnson, from Madison High School — on administrative leave during the internal investigation.

After the Causey death, his mother came forward to explain how this all came to be.
Brett Shipp investigated
((HT: WFAA-TV))
This afternoon DISD Superintendent Mike Miles announced a boat-load of firings as a result. 11 employees in total- coaches, assistant coaches and staff from the schools were fired after the investigation. 10 of the employees were terminated for falsifying documents. The eleventh employee was fired for "improperly obtaining and sharing student records." Four members of the central office with "direct responsibilities in the area" were also "relieved of their duties." The names were not released by Miles at the time of his presser because the firings were still happening- this being the last day of the school year. "... the district is submitting a letter to the University Interscholastic League today to self-report the findings of the investigation." Miles said in a release. "Players at two of our schools were ineligible to participate in UIL-sanctioned games but still played. It will be up to the UIL State Executive Committee to determine any action, including the possible forfeiture of games that may be required of us."
The HQ thinks both schools are in trouble in that regard...

More when we know more...

OSG High: The Tale Of Two Hoops Stars Under One Roof

((HT: WFAA-TV))

This is the sad reality of high school athletics- kids transfer, their parents let them, and sometimes the best of intentions (no matter how illegal) turn into tragedy.

Two Dallas Independent School District high school basketball coaches are on administrative leave following the death of one player and the arrest of another who lived under the same roof. James Madison High and Wilmer-Hutchins High's head coaches- Roderick Johnson and John Burley- look like they were in a situation where they recruited two athletes and may have gone as far as having associates forge documents, signatures, and violated UIL (the Texas high school athletics association) residence guidelines when it comes to housing and enrolling athletes in their basketball programs and respective high schools.

Troy Causey of Wilmer-Hutchins and Johnathan Turner of Madison High School got in a fight in front of the home where they were both living in South Dallas. Causey died from his injuries and Turner has been charged with the murder. Turner says it was an accident.

Parents and relatives interviewed below were amazingly forthright in admitting their rationale for the actions they did.

Here's their Part Two with Brett Shipp
News 8 has uncovered two other DISD instances of improper recruiting and grade changing and they maintain that the DISD Athletics Director, Jeff Johnson, has not been held in any kind of account for all of this.
The HQ isn't naive into thinking that this stuff never happens- or never happens anywhere close to home. That would be an astronomically naive point-of-view in today's universe of cutthroat high school athletics. But to get events to spiral this out-of-control is a new level of out-of-control.

OSG High: Sabbath Conflict Knocks School Out Of TX Playoffs

((HT: MyFoxHouston))

TAPPS stands for the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools and one member, Beren Academy, has had to withdraw from the playoffs because of the date of a playoff game falling on the Sabbath.

Rita Garcia catches up with "Team Star..."

Religious Conflict Could Blow Team's Title Shot: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

TAPPS claims that they told the school that the playoffs games fall on Fridays and Saturdays, so the school's appeal hasn't worked to date even though they have precedent for soccer...