FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — Three Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) School Board Members wrote a letter regarding the recent Hayfield Hawks football team controversy, expressing their constituents’ concerns and outlining steps FCPS should take regarding the “football situation.”
The letter was published online hours after Hayfield Secondary School Director of Student Activities Monty Fritts resigned from his role and just a day after the Hawks’s football team dropped out of the postseason.
Board members Mateo Dunne, Ricardy Anderson and Ryan McElveen said student-athletes were denied the opportunity to compete on a level playing field by both FCPS and the Virginia High School League (VHSL) this season.
“We believe that FCPS failed to protect its student-athletes and maintain the integrity of its athletic program. This situation has tarnished the reputation of FCPS and disrupted the lives of countless students, families/caregivers, and community members,” the letter read.
Hayfield High School has been under fire this football season for its recruiting practices. The VHSL banned the football team from two years of post-season play, but that move was later overruled by a judge.
In their letter, the board members said 14 football players transferred from Freedom High School of Hayfield in April 2024 – an “unusual and unprecedented” number. They said FCPS did not properly investigate the student transfers.
Following weeks of controversy, the team eventually decided to drop out of the rest of the postseason.
Dunne, Anderson and McElveen called for major changes to remedy athletics’ current challenges and to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future.
Two changes they advocated for were a new policy to govern the hiring, reassignment, removal and training of coaches and the establishment of a code of ethics for FCPS leadership and administrators.
FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid said there would be an independent external investigation and review of student-athlete transfers and eligibility requirements – a move the board members applauded.
“While we support these actions, they are insufficient to resolve the current crisis and prevent its repetition,” they wrote.
On Aug. 29, the board members said they voted in favor of directing Reid to retain an outside law firm to conduct a comprehensive and independent investigation of all allegations relating to the transfer of football players to the Hayfield football team.
The motion failed, and Dunne, Anderson and McElveen said they believe an impartial investigation earlier in the season could have prevented the current situation.
Moving forward, they said they would continue to advocate for a comprehensive and independent investigation into:
- The involuntary reassignment of FCPS employees;
- The alleged recruitment of football players from other schools;
- The transfer of football players from other schools;
- The residency and eligibility of the football players concerned;
- Cyberbullying and social media policy violations;
- The conduct of the internal investigation from June to August 2024; and
- The handling of this matter by FCPS leadership since February 2024.
While the letter was mostly critical of FCPS’s practices, the board members also noted their disapproval of the VHSL’s conduct this season. They said the organization failed to act in a timely manner to enforce its rules.
“It is unacceptable that VHSL intervened on the eve of the playoffs, causing maximum disruption for our student-athletes, families/caregivers, and community members,” they wrote.
Going forward, they said they’d like to see FCPS collaborate with VHSL to clarify the league’s rules to eliminate loopholes and require VHSL to act in a more timely fashion.
The board members also condemned a recent uptick in hate speech. They noted that they have received reports of racist comments directed toward student-athletes and families on social media.
“All students—whether in the classroom or on the football field—deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We encourage all members of our community to rise above hate and work toward a more inclusive future for everyone in our county,” the letter concluded.
Dunne, Anderson and McElveen said going forward, they would also advocate for the freedom of expression for employees, journalists and student journalists.
