Now you See Them, Now you Don’t

(Monday) February 8, 2010

The T.C. Williams boys basketball team posted a very fine record for the first two months of the season winning 12 and losing only 3. That all changed in a heartbeat last Monday as the presence of two ineligible players was revealed. All wins were forfeited leaving the team with an 0-15 record. The two players were not overage nor did they have academic problems. They had simply outplayed their four years of varsity eligibility under Virginia High School League rules. They had both transferred to T.C. two and three years ago respectively, one from Bishop Ireton and one from a school in North Carolina.

Obviously there was a problem of checking eligibility. The response of school officials, however, is not encouraging. On Tuesday the superintendent called for an investigation by the principal of T.C. Williams due last Friday. Principal Clendaniel, however, had left on Tuesday for Florida two days ahead of a student group he was escorting. It is also noteworthy that Clendaniel ,T.C.’s current athletic director Bob McKeag, and the assistant athletic director who is responsible for academics, Dennis Randolph, are all retired Fairfax County employees. Is an investigation by Clendaniel going to have any credibility? We think not.

Even more disturbing was the superintendent’s statement: “…that T.C.’s long standing practices have resulted in hurting our students.”  What are these long standing practices? The principal, the athletic director and the basketball coach are not long standing. They have been at T.C. for two years or less which is about the same time that Dr. Sherman has been the superintendent. There were no eligibility problems under previous athletic directors and coaches that caused the forfeit of large numbers of games. Players’ eligibility was checked. Those that were not eligible did not play. The superintendent’s statement implies that T.C.’s past athletic accomplishments are suspect because ineligible players were allowed to participate. Does he really believe that? Does he really support the school system of which he is head?

The keystone of a well run organization is accountability. Accountability flows from the top. Allowing subordinates to blame others no longer there for current problems is wrong. The students, the community and the taxpayers deserve an independent investigation free of potential bias. The city deserves to know the truth and to see consequences for those who did not do their jobs.