Found this letter in a Facebook group
November 20, 2024
Dear FCPS Community,
I am writing to address the continued — and troubling — misinformation being shared regarding this high school football season, and more specifically about the Hayfield Hawks football team. I also want to share with you our plan moving forward regarding this situation.
Let me begin by saying that all of our coaches, our school leaders, our community, and the Virginia High School League (VHSL) share a commitment to the success of our student athletes. We want our students to have passion for their sport and to play every game with integrity and sportsmanship above all else.
The VHSL is an important organization that has the tremendous responsibility of overseeing high school sports and other competitions across the Commonwealth. We appreciate the work they do, but in this situation, we share the frustration that many of our staff and families are feeling.
In August of this year, VHSL deemed eligible every player who has played this season on the Hayfield Hawks football team. Two months later, the VHSL declared the entire team ineligible for postseason play without any specific evidence of recruiting or other violations. Coaches, athletes, parents, and fans are frustrated by the circumstances that their teams are in now, because of the ambiguities within the VHSL’s rules and policies.
Last week, these inconsistencies were confirmed by the Fairfax County Circuit Court judge who, after a nearly two-hour hearing, ruled that Hayfield football could play in the postseason and that VHSL had violated its own rules by imposing a two-year ban. FCPS and Hayfield Secondary School are not parties to this litigation, but we will comply with the court ruling and allow Hayfield football to play in the postseason.
Last night, at their request, I met with coaches and principals whose school communities have been most directly impacted by this situation. During this productive meeting, we focused on our common goal to keep our student athletes at the center of any next steps. I have been clear that we will not find ourselves in this situation again.
To that end, and to minimize the potential of future questions or concerns, and to restore public trust, I have outlined the next steps we will be taking as a Division to ensure that our standards for student-athlete eligibility are clear and aligned moving forward. These steps include:
A comprehensive and independent external investigation and review of all student athlete transfers and eligibility practices across all sports and in all of our high schools.
A review and revision, where necessary, to FCPS athletic protocols and procedures. Led by the Office of Student Activities and Athletics programs, and in partnership with coaches and administrators, this will include a divisionwide review of current practices in evaluating student athlete transfers both inside and outside of the Division.
Alongside our Executive Director of Student Activities and Athletics, I will be hosting two Community Conversations, one for our schools in Class 6 Region C and one for our schools in Class 6 Region D, regarding our athletic regulations and practices. We’ll be sharing more information about those meetings soon and hope you will attend.
We also stand ready to work with the VHSL to improve their policies and processes on student-athlete eligibility. It is vital that we collaborate with everyone involved to ensure we are preparing for the evolution of the student-athlete experience that we are seeing in our country. As we navigate uncharted waters ahead in youth athletics, we must anchor our practices in clear rules and accountability systems that apply to all regardless of circumstances. Access to excellence and opportunity — that is the American dream.
Warmest Regards,
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Dr. Michelle C. Reid
Superintendent
