After two of its high schools received punishments for breaking student eligibility rules during the football season, Prince George’s County Public Schools said it is responding to ensure policies aren’t broken again.
High school athletic directors, coaches and principals attended a mandatory meeting and training session as a “refresher” of the Maryland school system’s policies for transfers and student participation, Director of Secondary Programs Mar-c Holland told WTOP.
During the meeting, athletic officials were reminded that they are responsible for ensuring a student-athlete is compliant with the system’s policies. Holland said it is also important for athletic stakeholders to have open communication with a student-athlete’s family to ensure rules are being followed, calling it “a collaborative effort.”
“We felt it deemed necessary to pull those together that oversee this area to make sure that they are familiar and informed of those specific policies and procedures,” she said.
The meeting comes after two high schools — Charles H. Flowers and DuVal — were found to use ineligible players during varsity football games. It is the third time in two years that a football program was found breaking the system’s policies, Holland said.
Following an investigation, each school forfeited games won “in which the violation occurred,” Holland said. Flowers, which was undefeated at the time, vacated four wins while DuVal forfeited one game. Both teams’ head coaches were also suspended for the rest of the season.
In recent years, schools around the D.C. region have been barred from postseason play after recruiting and eligibility rules were broken. In Virginia, Fairfax High School’s football team was banned from the state playoffs after Fairfax County Public Schools determined the program violated recruiting policies.
However, officials did not assess postseason bans for Flowers and DuVal. According to Holland, issuing a playoff ban was not considered, as the investigation followed “state and district policies and procedures.”
To ensure it does not happen again, Holland said athletic directors and principals will participate in an ongoing monthly training. Some of its rules are also being evaluated.
“We are definitely reviewing how we monitor eligibility, including rosters, transfers, academic checks and so forth,” Holland said.
PGCPS’ zero tolerance on rule breaking will continue as the winter sports season begins in December. While football draws the most attention, Holland told WTOP that other sports are dealing with similar eligibility issues.
“We need to ensure that rules are followed, and we lead with integrity,” Holland said.
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