UPDATED BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Big changes are happening with Gadsden County High School football. I'm Tatyana Purifoy, your Quincy neighborhood reporter. Head coach Russell Ellington has resigned, and now Superintendent Elijah Key says he's stepping in to support the team until a new coach is hired.
Gadsden County School Superintendent Elijah Key said, "Just after having a conversation with the young men and the coaches on Monday, I do have football coaching experience, so it's really about filling that gap right now — being around to help figure out who can lead while we're in this dark time."
Key says he's already bringing in local alumni including former college players to support the coaching staff and while he stresses he's not taking over as head coach his presence helps reassure parents and the community that the team won't be left behind.
Even as he works to rally support on the field the district is still dealing with the fallout off the field, including fines and sanctions from the state athletic association.
"The fines went down Monday, August 25th after we requested the Florida High School Athletic Association take another look at it. As a result of our coach resigning, they reduced the fines — as long as there are no other infractions this year those fees will more than likely come back", said superintendent Key.
The FHSAA brought the fine down from $21,500 to $1,000 on Monday. Back in July the FHSAA voted to suspend former coach Russell Ellington after an audit flagged required registration forms for eight athletes that were incomplete and contained false information. Key confirmed the falsified paperwork tied to the investigation did not involve current Gadsden County employees — instead, it came from outside documents tied to student transfers.
The district has not released a timeline for hiring a new head coach. In the meantime, the football team will move forward under interim support as the search continues. In Quincy Tatyana Purifoy ABC 27.
Original:
Gadsden County School District said in a newsletter that Superintendent Elijah Key will help guide the Gadsden County High School football program until a new head coach is hired.
Former head coach Russell Ellington resigned on August 23, following months of challenges for the team. In the newsletter, the district said Superintendent Key emphasized that no GCSD employees falsified documents, pushing back against earlier concerns tied to sanctions from the Florida High School Athletic Association FHSAA.
The district also announced that the FHSAA has reduced a major fine against Gadsden County Schools, lowering it from $21,500 to just $1,000.
The district originally planned to appeal the hefty fine.
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