A popular Northwest Louisiana football coach has been stripped of that title as well as his position as the school’s athletic director.
DeSoto Parish schools Superintendent Clay Corley took the action against North DeSoto High’s Scott Abernathy Thursday morning.
Abernathy is still employed as a teacher.
Corley said he could not discuss details that led to his decision.
“We will begin the search process for the next head coach and athletic director. We look forward to making a decision on that in the near future,” Corley said.
The move comes as the Louisiana High School Athletic Association has notified the school it will have to forfeit some of the wins earned in the boys’ soccer team’s recent season because of two academically ineligible players. Only one of the students played, though. The team won three of the nine games in which that student participated.
The School Board self-reported the situation. LHSAA allows five days for an appeal; however, Corley said they won’t file for one. The school has been fined $200.
The soccer coach, who was a non-faculty member, resigned last week.
As athletic director, Abernathy was over the soccer program.
The administrative changes come as questions have been raised in recent months about leadership and guidance at the school level, as well as how that played into connections with the booster clubs, some of which are under scrutiny in an ongoing audit.
Corley said he couldn’t comment on whether Abernathy’s removal is related to the audit.
The school’s principal, Bart Weaver, in February transferred to the Central Office. The assistant principal and a Central Office administrator are overseeing daily operations until a principal is named. The application process opens Monday.
All of this is happening as the School Board is awaiting results of an audit that’s been underway for the past few months into some of NDHS’ support groups.
The School Board said the move was to provide more transparency in operations since the groups are raising money in the school’s name, and to do so it required the groups to submit articles of incorporation and a year’s worth of financial records.
Most responded quickly, but two didn’t: the North DeSoto Youth Athletic Association and the North DeSoto Quarterback Club. The athletic association’s leader was threatened with a loss of the use of facilities and ability to use the school’s mascot and colors in future endeavors for not promptly turning over the records.
The youth association’s financial documents were eventually handed over, but the Quarterback Club – through Abernathy — had to be nudged to give up its records.
https://www.ktbs.com/news/3investigates/ndhs-football-coach-ad-removed-from-position/article_9a78e4de-468e-11e9-aca2-6fbaee9026da.html
