Grady High football team forfeits wins and placed on probation
Grady High School's football team must forfeit victories from last season, and the school is barred from participating in the playoffs next season because several players were fraudulently enrolled at the school, according to penalties assessed by the Georgia High School Association on Tuesday.
An Atlanta Public Schools investigation found this month that at least 14 football players used falsified residency documents to attend Grady. GHSA Executive Director Ralph Swearngin wrote that four students violated eligibility rules.
The Grady Grey Knights finished with an 8-3 record after losing in the first round of the playoffs Nov. 15.
Grady will forfeit all games from the 2013 season in which ineligible students participated, and the football program was placed on probation for the 2014 season.
GHSA also fined the school $1,000 for lack of administrative oversight.
Atlanta Public Schools said in a statement it will work collaboratively with GHSA, and additional penalties may be assessed if further violations are discovered.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
