QUINCY, Fla. (WTXL) — Gadsden County High School leaders say they will appeal sanctions from the Florida High School Athletic Association next month.
- The FHSAA upheld sanctions against head football coach Russell Ellington and barred the team from playoffs.
- The school faces a $21,500 fine, with most of the cost covered by taxpayers.
- Watch the video to learn how the district plans to move forward.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In Gadsden County, the high school football season is starting with more questions than answers. I'm Tatyana Purifoy, your Quincy Neighborhood reporter with how the school plans to own up to their wrongs and continue to appeal the FHSAA for their students and coach.
"Understand the things that you've done wrong. Put the things in place to ensure that those things doesn't happen again,and go before this board and ask for mercy," said Gadsden County School superintendent Elijah Key.
District leaders say they plan to appeal the Florida High School Athletic Association's decision again next month. They're also asking the board to reduce the $21,500 fine.
The athletic program has less than five-thousand dollars in its budget,meaning the school board would have to cover the rest with taxpayer money.
Superintendent Key said, "you generate funds for sports as the games are played,and as of right now we have not had one home game,so there's not a lot of money that's currently in the football bank account,so we're going to have to assist the school in paying those fines,but it will come from taxpayers,which is a part of the general funds of the school district."
The latest appeal comes after the FHSAA upheld sanctions against coach Russell Ellington earlier this year... after an audit flagged required registration forms for eight athletes that were incomplete and contained false information.
The association ruled he will remain suspended for one year, forfeit $5,000 of his salary, and is ineligible from coaching or attending games. The decision also keeps Gadsden County High School out of the state playoffs for the upcoming season. The eight athletes at the center of the case are still eligible to play football, just not for Gadsden County High School.
The district says it will make its case to the FHSAA board of directors in September, hoping to reduce the penalties and move past the sanctions. In Quincy Tatyana Purifoy ABC 27.
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