Elyria Catholic placed on probation for football recruiting violation
- Thread starter Yappi
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If Piazza is correct, the probation seems ridiculous From cleveland.com. :
Elyria Catholic is on probation for the rest of the 2023-24 school year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Friday, citing a recruiting violation with its football team.
The OHSAA cited Bylaws 4-9-2 and 4-9-4 in regards to impermissible contact a football coach had with a perspective student-athlete before he applied to the school for enrollment. As a result, Elyria Catholic has been reprimanded and placed on probation. The school also is now required to conduct a recruiting seminar with all members of its football coaching staff.
Elyria Catholic athletic director Jim Piazza said the school became aware of report Aug. 7, which led to the OHSAA’s investigation. He also confirmed the coach in question is head coach Chase Farris, a former Elyria High School and Ohio State standout on the defensive line.
Piazza also provided a statement:
“The report indicates that Coach Farris, visiting Elyria High School, in his role as Executive Director of Save Our Children, was invited and attended a ceremony honoring an Elyria High female student, whom he mentors. Coach Farris, who had just left football weightlifting on April 4, in haste to arrive on time for the awards ceremony inadvertently wore an Elyria Catholic sweatshirt. As a result, Elyria High submitted a recruiting complaint to OHSAA. Since that time OHSAA has conducted an investigation and issued an August 7th report, stating, ...’there is no tangible evidence to directly corroborate and/or refute these claims, aside from hearsay on each side.’”
Elyria Catholic hired Farris in March to replace Brian Fox, who left the Panthers for Elyria. The Panthers’ hiring of Farris came with two more former Ohio State standouts, including Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, and Doran Grant on staff.
The program is coming off consecutive deep postseason runs, including a Division V regional final appearance in 2021 and Division IV regional semifinal run last year.
Elyria Catholic is 2-4 this season and plays host to winless North Olmsted on Friday night.
Elyria Catholic is on probation for the rest of the 2023-24 school year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Friday, citing a recruiting violation with its football team.
The OHSAA cited Bylaws 4-9-2 and 4-9-4 in regards to impermissible contact a football coach had with a perspective student-athlete before he applied to the school for enrollment. As a result, Elyria Catholic has been reprimanded and placed on probation. The school also is now required to conduct a recruiting seminar with all members of its football coaching staff.
Elyria Catholic athletic director Jim Piazza said the school became aware of report Aug. 7, which led to the OHSAA’s investigation. He also confirmed the coach in question is head coach Chase Farris, a former Elyria High School and Ohio State standout on the defensive line.
Piazza also provided a statement:
“The report indicates that Coach Farris, visiting Elyria High School, in his role as Executive Director of Save Our Children, was invited and attended a ceremony honoring an Elyria High female student, whom he mentors. Coach Farris, who had just left football weightlifting on April 4, in haste to arrive on time for the awards ceremony inadvertently wore an Elyria Catholic sweatshirt. As a result, Elyria High submitted a recruiting complaint to OHSAA. Since that time OHSAA has conducted an investigation and issued an August 7th report, stating, ...’there is no tangible evidence to directly corroborate and/or refute these claims, aside from hearsay on each side.’”
Elyria Catholic hired Farris in March to replace Brian Fox, who left the Panthers for Elyria. The Panthers’ hiring of Farris came with two more former Ohio State standouts, including Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, and Doran Grant on staff.
The program is coming off consecutive deep postseason runs, including a Division V regional final appearance in 2021 and Division IV regional semifinal run last year.
Elyria Catholic is 2-4 this season and plays host to winless North Olmsted on Friday night.
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eaglemercenary
Member
If he did not address students as a coach, did not talk EC football, etc,, he might have a First Amendment case for being penalized for only for wearing a garment with a religious symbol (Elyria CATHOLIC).
The press release is idiotic. The violation didn’t come from the incident he mentioned, which is clear by the fact that OHSAA issued a report on it *back on August 7.* that may have been what led to them investigating and discovering other things, but he was not punished for simply wearing a sweatshirt.
Wildcat97
Well-known member
Here's the issue....commonly misunderstood about 1A.....are we saying there is govt action here? How? OHSAA is not an agent of govt.....if you don't have govt action infringing, 1A violation claim does not exist
Wildcat97
Well-known member
What was he punished for then? This sounds like speculation unless you are privy to more info
eaglemercenary
Member
Understood, it is a 501 (c) (3), but he may have recourse to civil litigation, and the complainant was a government (publicly funded) and regulated body. Thoughts?
Wildcat97
Well-known member
Without diving into all the specifics (my atty brain needs a break this Saturday am after this full moon week), my issue on the surface is that the argument can be that the action restricting "speech" was performed by ohsaa, not by the complainant Elyria. And, secondarily, while I think the probation is patently absurd, argument if get past justiciability issues would be that even if govt action, has an alternative forum nearby for the speech, Sweatshirt.
At the crux of this whole thing, if the facts are as in the AD statement, the OHSAA has got some answering to do because this reeks of a pissed off public and coach dismissed from a private and rival in area tagging up to take on a subsequent coach. It's the same kind of crap we see in society as a whole right now, retribution revenge and grievances controlling all of life
As stated by the OHSAA, he was punished for impermissible contact with a male student athlete before said student athlete applied for enrollment.
the press release from EC only mentions he was going to see a female student that he mentors. They don’t mention the male student at all, what the contact was, etc. The press release fails to mention in any way what the actual cause of the punishment was, and brings up something (wearing a sweatshirt) the OHSAA closed without punishment on August 7. The AD is just trying to obfuscate from whatever the real issue is. Could it have been something just as minor? Perhaps. But whatever situation he’s talking about was not the situation that resulted in the punishment, per his own press release and the statements of the OHSAA.
Footballguy00005
Member
When are Hoban, Ed’s and TCC and Ursuline recruiting letters coming out?
Curious One
Active member
Probation means don’t do this; no sanctions on coach or school. If he even inadvertently spoke to an athlete, he was wrong; not big time wrong, letter of the rule wrong. Nothing to see here.
Right after Springfield, Whitmer, Trotwood, Glenville and the RH are released.
A little backstory. The EC coach started this year and is a former star player at Elyria (and Ohio St). The Elyria coach started there this year and left being head coach at EC to coach at Elyria
I’m not privy to what went on, but there’s always been a little bit of animosity between the schools but this may have escalated it. To the best of my knowledge though things had improved somewhat before the two schools before this.
Oil Filter
Well-known member
Sounds more like adults acting like children.
Elyria High contacted the Elyria Catholic coach (Fox) over the summer and offered him more money to coach across town. EC graduated a lot of talent from last year's team and Fox saw the writing on the wall. In the name of "doing the best for his family." Fox bolted to EHS. Meanwhile, Chase Farris (an EHS grad and OSU grad) was on the staff and thought he would be promoted to EHS head coach. When ECHS became aware that Fox was leaving, they offered the ECHS job to Farris. He accepted and ECHS then immediately dropped EHS from their schedule due to the coach poaching.
While both programs are struggling (EC is 2-5, EHS is 0-7), I've heard players at EHS aren't buying into what coach Fox is selling and have been quitting. (the starting QB quit on a thursday before a game two weeks ago). This is just a guess, but I'm wondering if Elyria is concerned with players transferring to Elyria Catholic. Maybe this is a preemptive strike against Elyria Catholic.
Glenville has nothing to do with whatever public/private crap that's goin' on. Keep them out of it
Fox is a very good coach and the EHS program needs a cultural change in the worst way. It has had some high points under Doan, Richardson, Fell and Solis, but nothing has ever been sustained. Fox needs to weed out those who won't commit to the program, or allow themselves to weed out, and start building with the kids who do buy in and of course streamline the program down to the youth level...and stay. That's been an issue at EHS. Everyone leaves.
Egret
Well-known member
Right here. There needs to start being some legal backlash from these idiots just going Nazi and doing whatever they feel like. With ZERO consistency. And if there is a corroborating school in the mix doing the reporting, make them a dang defendant too. Enough is enough.
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
Welllll, they're not saying it but they were placed on double secret probation.
If the OHSAA is so bad that schools want to enforce some kind of “legal backlash” why wouldn’t the schools just…not join the OHSAA? It’s not mandatory. Don’t like how they operate, 1) vote in new people who will run it how you like, 2) vote in new rules, if your issue is with the rules, or 3) leave.
Typical attitude. Vote, leave, or shut up huh? Not how things work pal. We are allowed to challenge bad rulings and/or protect our rights even if the minority.
Did Fox commit to the EC kids? Why would a kid at Elyria "buy in" to what Fox has to say? If no one sticks around, then how would any kids "buy in?" Why does "everyone" leave? Is Elyria a desirable location where one can build up a program?
The OHSAA is controlled by the member schools. They have plenty of recourse outside of a courtroom, but often seem too lazy to take it.
He obviously did commit to the EC kids, and vice versa, as the record shows. Fox did not seek out Elyria, they came to him after the EHS administration queried some local coaches and Fox was recommended. Elyria acted upon it and Fox agreed to come to Elyria. Chase Farris was passed over for the EHS job and landed on his feet at EC. Time will tell whether the decisions were good or bad, but Fox has a proven track record of some success and Farris is starting his journey. It's definitely an interesting and odd situation, but it may turn out to be a good situation for all involved.
As for EHS itself, it has a rich athletic history, but is mostly...IMO...in the sleeping giant category in football and basketball. Never really achieves the success level many feel it can. I don't have the answers as to why, but I would love to see the potential be reached in both sports going forward.