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The following is an e-mail to Guilford County Schools employees titled "Important Message from the Superintendent -- Athletic Investigation" and sent Wednesday evening:

Dear Employees:

Today was a difficult day for Guilford County Schools, and in particular, for our school family at Northern Guilford High School. Earlier this afternoon, we met with a number of coaches and student athletes at Northern to let them know that we have completed the first phase of the investigation regarding the athletic program. We also met with faculty and staff after school. Parents were also contacted by personal phone call or via the Connect-Ed ® system.

Here is what we shared:

“During the course of the investigation, five student athletes in five different sports were determined to be ineligible when they competed for Northern. The teams include: varsity boys basketball, wrestling and baseball, and junior varsity girls softball and cheerleading. The investigation also found that school officials failed to properly monitor the athletic program.

These findings have been shared with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA). According to the state association, falsifying residency in order to meet eligibility requirement carries a 365-day penalty for student athletes. If school officials fail to manage eligibility requirements properly, teams are also penalized.

We found out earlier today that the state association will assess the following penalties against Northern:

· The varsity boys basketball team must forfeit every game in which an ineligible player participated. Since the ineligible players participated in every game, the team will forfeit its season and the state championship. Northern must also repay any gate receipts generated by its participation in the state’s post-season playoffs and championship. In addition, Northern must pay a $500 fine, reduced to $250 for self reporting.

· The varsity wrestling team will forfeit every match in an ineligible student participated in, and their team score will be recalculated to determine whether the match will be recorded as a loss or a win. They will also be assessed a $500 fine, reduced to $250 for self reporting. No ineligible wrestlers placed in the regional tournament, so no ineligible players qualified for the state tournament.

· The season for the varsity baseball team will also be forfeited. The baseball team won’t be allowed to advance to the state tournament this weekend. Northern will be assessed a $500 fine for this team, also reduced to $250 for self reporting.

· The junior varsity softball team will forfeit every game in which an ineligible student participated. The team will be assessed a fine of $500, reduced to $250 for self reporting.

· Junior varsity cheerleading did not compete in any NCHSAA events. However, the team will have to pay a $250 fine, also reduced from $500 for self reporting.

· The entire athletic program at Northern Guilford High School has been reprimanded and put on probation for one year.

The state association and Guilford County Schools will not disclose the names of the athletes declared ineligible because student records are considered confidential under state and federal law. Personnel records are also confidential. GCS is still reviewing the football program and other sports at Northern, as well as several other schools in the district. We will share more information about these additional investigations with you as it becomes available.

This is a sad day for Northern, and we recognize that this news will cause even more distress among our students, staff and parents. It’s deeply disappointing when the actions of a few hurt so many. To assist us as we work through the grieving process and to provide additional support to our students, we have activated the school’s crisis team. The team will be in place tomorrow as well to provide additional support to students. The superintendent met with the student athletes and coaches of the teams involved earlier today. We are also contacting these students’ parents, and will send a Connect-Ed ® message later today to our entire school family.

We recognize this situation may be very difficult for your child. If your child becomes emotional, angry or needs additional support, please let us know. Our school counselors are trained to support students and provide a listening ear for their concerns. Please be especially vigilant for any signs of retaliation or bullying. This kind of behavior simply won’t be tolerated, whether by students or staff.

In order to help our school family process today’s news we are planning another meeting with the superintendent for the Northern Guilford High School community. More information about that meeting will be shared soon. (The meeting for Northern parents has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. tomorrow night at the school.)

Northern is an excellent school with tremendous students, faculty, staff, parents and community support. While this is a challenging time, my hope is everyone will rally around the new principal and work through the healing process together. In the meantime, please continue to hold your heads high, and recognize that the actions uncovered as part of the investigation are not representative of our school.”

Again, as you can imagine, this has been a difficult day, especially for our students, staff and parents at Northern. As a school district, we rise and fall together. When one school struggles, we share in that struggle. Please support your colleagues and team members by refraining from speculation. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact me at feedback@gcsnc.com.