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NCHSAA rejects King's eligibility appeal

Thursday, September 17, 2009
(Updated 8:24 am)
By Robert Bell
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO — After a series of legal twists and turns, Gabe King's quest to play high school football is over — at least in North Carolina.

The executive committee of the N.C. High School Athletic Association on Wednesday unanimously rejected King's appeal to have his athletic eligibility reinstated for his senior year.

King has a choice: Stay at Northern Guilford for his senior year or immediately transfer out of state — possibly back to his native South Carolina — to play football.

He wants to play in the Army All-American Bowl, an invitation-only game in January that attracts the nation's top high school seniors. But participants must have played football their senior year.

King said he has an idea of what he wants to do, but is holding off announcing his decision until later this week or early next week.

"I want to make sure what's in my heart is in the best interest of my future," he said.

Despite losing his eligibility, King has remained the state's most coveted defensive player. He has received more than a dozen scholarship offers from colleges across the country and has narrowed his choices to California, Alabama and Oregon. He said he is leaning toward California, but wants to make his announcement on ESPN this fall.

King was ruled ineligible in the spring by the NCHSAA, which determined that he supplied Page, the high school he was attending at the time, with a false address in July 2008.

Earlier that summer, King's parents moved to Winston-Salem. Instead of joining them, King moved in with his adult sister in an apartment within the Page school district — the address he gave when filling out an athletics participation form.

Lawyers for the NCHSAA again argued Wednesday that King's parents never transferred legal guardianship of their son to their daughter, making him ineligible to attend Page. King's parents moved back to Greensboro within Northern's attendance zone earlier this year, and King transferred there in April.

King had a brief reprieve when his eligibility was restored last month by a temporary restraining order allowing him to practice with the Nighthawks. That order was overturned by a Superior Court judge a week later. The NCHSAA agreed last week to hear King's case, a rare appeal granted by the group to an individual.

King said he was disappointed with Wednesday's ruling, but was grateful to be allowed to present his side.

King and his mother, Patricia Hughes, reiterated their claims of last spring that Page football coach Kevin Gillespie, assistant coach Norman Weeks and athletics director Rusty Lee knew King was living with his sister and never told him he was ineligible.

"All of this is based on a lie to protect Page," Hughes said. "I talked with Norman Weeks. He called me up and asked me where Gabe was living. I told him the truth. He knew, Coach Gillespie knew, Rusty Lee knew. They all knew, but never said a word about it being wrong. Now they aren't man enough to admit it."

King said Page officials — he declined to identify them — told him to write his sister's address on the participation form.

"It's been tough," he said. "I don't want to get into bashing Page's coaches because I still care about them. I'm disappointed in them, but I still care about them."

Lee did not return a reporter's phone calls. Gillespie and Weeks said they been instructed by Guilford County Schools officials not to comment.

King's case may have led to change within school district. Greensboro lawyer Chris Justice, who represented King, criticized the school system's old athletics form, saying it was poorly written and did not specifically ask if the student was living with his parents or legal guardian.

This year's participation form leaves little room for ambiguity. It asks for the address of the student, the student's mother and father, and, if applicable, the legal custodian.

"Hopefully," Justice said, "this will avoid a lot of the confusion and mistakes that got us here in the first place."

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com

Accompanying Photos

File photo (News & Record)

Photo Caption: Former Page High School defensive end Gabriel King.

Comments

This article has been closed to new comments. Comments are generally closed after 14 days. However, comments may be closed earlier at the discretion of the News & Record.

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turkey

September 17, 2009 - 9:10 am EDT

We all have to learn in life that WE reap what WE sow. I hope he does well and learns from this.

eduguytoo

September 17, 2009 - 9:25 am EDT

In a post a few weeks back I predicted this outcome...that Gabe King would never play sports at a public high school in North Carolina again. Case closed.

What ISN'T closed in my book is the NCHSAA "RULES." More specifically, I'm amused at how at least some of the Guilford County Schools seem to be hiding behind them...and perhaps even making them up. Here's an example. An acquaintance told me that before last Friday night's football game between Northern Guilford and Northwest Guilford, Northern Guilford principal Will Laine left a voicemail for parents/students stating that per NCHSAA RULES, anyone in possession of a sign/poster/banner would not be allowed into the stadium. If somehow these contraband items made it in, the possessors would be asked to leave. It was also stated that "body painting" is in violation of NCHSAA RULES. I have no problem with RULES; I do have a problem with RULES that nobody knows exist. I also have a problem with RULES being whipped out at the eleventh hour. So I have politely asked for a copy of the NCHSAA documents that tell us THE RULES. I've already downloaded and read THE RULES that I can find on the NCHSAA website, and I cannot find anything about signs and body painting. There are RULES about athletic participation and broad comments about sportsmanship, but I can find no RULES that prohibit signs or body painting. There must, then, be a separate set of SECRET RULES. So, let's either produce THE RULES and make sure that every high school in the state is following them, or else fess up to manufacturing RULES when convenient. And for goodness sakes, if students making and bringing signs to an athletics contest has officially become against THE RULES, then I think some more astute people need to be on the NCHSAA board.

And while we're at it, I tried the athletics participation "squealer" hotline e-mail address last night: fairplay@gcsnc.com. I suppose I should not be surprised that the e-mail I sent to that address bounced back to me. Why? Apparently the address has not been created within the Guilford County Schools e-mail system. My rejection stated that the address does not exist. I suppose it could be said that "Fairplay" in Guilford County hasn't yet arrived...and I'd be right on several levels.

Panacea

September 17, 2009 - 11:38 am EDT

Your argument is based on hearsay. "An acquaintance told you." ie you are repeating an unsubstantiated rumor and nothing more.

Clearly you are antagonistic towards the hotline when you call it a "squealer" hotline. How do you the address hadn't been properly created? Did you call and confirm with the hotline? It makes me wonder, because the N&R recently reported that the hotline was being used. Makes me wonder if it wasn't a temporary blip on the internet or if you entered it wrong in your email client.

GCS is making steps in the right direction, and I'm glad to finally see it.

eduguytoo

September 17, 2009 - 12:52 pm EDT

I have HEARD the message first hand left on voicemail by the principal. There's absolutely no doubt about its content. I still have a copy; there's no hearsay here...only legitimate "I heard it from the horse's mouth." It's funny that the message was left about the time that most people were headed for the game. I despise RULES being whipped out when convenient. Let's just put the RULES out there for everyone to know and see. It may be that we will want to debate the RULES. But we'll never know unless the RULES are made public. I'm not necessarily in disagreement with the RULES that are legitimate. But it would be a major frustration if every law enforcement officer or local government were able to put laws (RULES) on the books and none of us knew what they were until we broke them. That appears to me to be what's going on. If NCHSAA has some list of RULES governing such minutia as signs and body painting at athletic contests, and if Guilford County Schools is going to enforce these, I just want to substantiate. Who knows what other RULES there might be. Just tell everyone what they are, and then apply to every system and every school statewide.

As for the "squealer" hotline, yes I am antagonistic torwards it. It seems sophomoric or perhaps kindergartneric to cultivate a climate of tattletales. Funny, one of the things I learned in school a long time ago was that being a tattletale isn't a good thing. And because I am a person whose job centers around the Internet, I have a pretty good handle on what's going on when e-mail messages come back with the following:

I'm sorry to have to inform you that your message could not be delivered to one or more recipients. It's attached below.

For further assistance, please send mail to "postmaster"

If you do so, please include this problem report. You can delete your own text from the attached returned message.

: 550 5.1.1 User unknown

There are several potential explanations, but truly, if GCS wanted this thing to be anonymous and foolproof, they'd provide a FORM on the website for people to submit the suspected violators. Put in a CAPTCHA to limit robot abusers. I basically disagree with the entire premise of ratting out neighbors. I'm aware of people in my vicinity breaking the rules, but that's their business. Nothing that a thorough investigation complete with stakeout couldn't uncover. I think little good is going to come from this snitching other than ill-will, time wasted and money wasted.

NewChanges

September 17, 2009 - 9:58 pm EDT

His argument is not "hearsay". Principal Laine did send out the message stating it was NCHSAA rules about the body paint and the posters. Not that I wanted to do those things. But if it is not an "official" rule, then it should have been advised this was his rule and not NCHSAA.

dcolin

September 17, 2009 - 5:08 pm EDT

I believe all the adults ( Page and NCHSAA ).
Don't want the truth.
They don't want to appear bad.
The simplest thing is to throw the kid under the buss.

"All student-athletes and their parents and coaches must sign honor codes before participating in any athletic contest. In the honor codes, student-athletes, parents and coaches pledge to abide by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s (NCHSAA’s) eligibility requirements.

“It is critical that only eligible students participate in high school and middle school sports,” said Leigh Hebbard, the GCS athletic director. “This is a perfect opportunity for us to teach our children through example to be more than athletes. It’s another level of character education for them.”

The campaign comes on the heels of 12 eligibility violations in 10 sports at Northern High. “Students need to learn that demonstrating good character and sportsmanship are just as important as winning, if not more so,” said Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green"

If they really meant this they would investigate the coaches in question.
They don't want to know.

I do. How about you

NewChanges

September 17, 2009 - 11:02 am EDT

"All of this is based on a lie to protect Page," Hughes said. "I talked with Norman Weeks. He called me up and asked me where Gabe was living. I told him the truth. He knew, Coach Gillespie knew, Rusty Lee knew. They all knew, but never said a word about it being wrong. Now they aren't man enough to admit it."

Enough said.

eduguytoo

September 17, 2009 - 12:45 pm EDT

Is it as simple as a "transfer" to an out-of-state location...SC as mentioned in the article? Doesn't South Carolina also have standards of domicile/residency/guardianship/custodianship...in other words, an entity equivalent to NCHSAA? Would seem to me that "transfer" isn't quite the word for it...I would think the entire King/Hughes family would have to MOVE to South Carolina or somewhere else...being sure that in the process they dotted the i's and crossed the t's in a legalistic sense. I would hope that Gabe King could not simply go to South Carolina, move in with a grandparent or aunt/uncle and immediately be eligible to take to the gridiron. Are the standards such from state to state that this could happen? Just wondering.

Bang201

September 17, 2009 - 12:45 pm EDT

Enoght said indeed, at least enough said by Ms Hughes. Time to fade away and stop telling lies abouth the staff at Page. She's had numerous days in court now, nobody is buying her story. She got to be getting close to libel.

Jimmy Jones

September 17, 2009 - 1:58 pm EDT

Bang201,

I agree with you. Robert Bell could stop printing such garbage when he knows that the coaches have been instructed not to say a word. The coaches can't say anything, yet Robert Bell continues to print slander from this lady. I'm losing a lot of respect for you Robert. If this is what you continue to do, then Rusty Lee should never allow you near Page again. It is GARBAGE, and Robert continues to dangle slandering comments in front of people who can't respond. I'm sure the coaches would love to give Robert an earful. Maybe this is why he continues to do this hoping that the coaches will get ticked off enough to spill their beans. Robert, I know you have to sell newspapers and have to report this story, which I'm hoping is finally over, since you will probably have nothing else to write about on Gabe King after this, but you don't have to make the coaches look bad. People read these remarks and assume Gabe's mother is telling the truth. This lady is clueless and is flying off at the trap. The good thing that may come out of this is that it looks like Patricia Hughes is finally trying to be a mother. Where was she before all of this? Maybe now, she will be a mother and stick by his side and NEVER LEAVE HIM. Enough said!

dcolin

September 17, 2009 - 4:01 pm EDT

"coaches have been instructed not to say a word".Exactly.
Lets take a vote:

All those that think the Page staff are lying.

1) Respond here
2) Call or E-Mail Fairplay and ask that page staff be investigated.
Seems fair to me.We investigate the kids how about the coaches
Serious charges here.
Don't we want the truth?
These people should be investigated as hard as the janitor. Don't you think?

fairplay@gcsnc.com or call (336) 574-2994

Have at it.

eduguytoo

September 17, 2009 - 4:20 pm EDT

But bear in mind that if you have my experience, your e-mail might get bounced back if you send to fairplay@gcsnc.com. Some here seem to doubt this happened to me, but I assure you it did...last night. I have the bounce-back saved in my inbox as proof. And I did send a copy of it to GCS so hopefully they can fix the problem. It's not a life-changing experience for me, but there are surer and more anonymous ways to transmit e-mail. It's kind of ironic that on the individual school websites, if one wants to contact a teacher or administrator, it is done through form mail...not through a "mailto" to a disclosed address. I can understand this, and when I've used this method to make contact, it has worked flawlessly. It would be a prudent and simple matter for the paid Internet/IT gurus working for the Guilford County Schools to make the squealer line operate the same way. Yep, I said it again...the squealer line.

dcolin

September 17, 2009 - 4:35 pm EDT

Comrade
Here, this is who responds.

Hebbard, Leigh
E-mail Address:
hebbarl@gcsnc.com

eduguytoo

September 17, 2009 - 4:51 pm EDT

One problem in engaging with an Internet geek is that we probably tell you more than you want to know. The problem I have with the "mailto" e-mail approach is that most people have e-mail addresses that pretty much reveal their identities. It's not my address, but let's suppose I turned someone in using the manner that GCS has set up; my address is joesmith@somecompany.com. I ask you, is that anonymous? If caller ID is readable to Leigh Hebbard (and I don't know whether it is or isn't), would it not be revealing...and not anonymous? Heck, in this day of reverse number look-ups, even the number alone does not ensure anonymity. Simply put, if GCS had wanted to have this thing be anonymous, they sure have gone about it in a funny way. But what's new about that? I still don't like the whole sneaky thing of ratting people out. What I do assert and have asserted all along is that an in-depth investigation into athletics eligibility across ALL schools in the system will yield similar results to what turned up at Northern. So, what was I doing sending an e-mail to the squealer line for anyway? Well, I just want to put in my 2 cents worth that "positive" results (and I'm sure there will be some) be made public knowledge. I want EVERY school found guilty of an infraction to be publicized in the same manner as some of the schools that have already come under scrutiny...Northern and Page, as example. I don't think that's too much to ask, is it?

turkey

September 17, 2009 - 7:43 pm EDT

Hey Colonoscopy

The coaches there have been investigated. Innocent. Leave it alone. People like you are the reason that the youth gets worse and worse, b/c they are never made to be accountable for their actions.

dcolin

September 17, 2009 - 11:19 pm EDT

"Hey Colonoscopy" ( spoken like a real sportsman)

People like me?

Please elaborate.

The coaches can tell Bell it is not true.

Why don't they?

Are they friends of yours? Ask them

Robert Bell

September 18, 2009 - 1:48 pm EDT

Edgeguy, The South Carolina High School League recognizes rulings made by the N.C High School Athletic Association, according to Roger Hazel, who handles eligibility issues for the league. Indeed, Hazel said there is a question on the SCHSL's participation form that essentially asks: Was the student eligible to represent the school he or she most recently attended? If the answer is no, then he can't play for an S.C. public school. That, of course, does not preclude Mr. King from enrolling at a private school in South Carolina -- or anywhere else for that matter.

Jimmy Jones,
Rest assured the News & Record isn't trying to make anyone look bad. But the fact that Page's coaches chose not to speak last spring and have since been told not to speak does not mean that Mrs. Hughes and her son should be muzzled, too. The family believes they've been treated unfairly. Should we ignore that because the school system has chosen not to comment? We've written 13 stories about Mr. King this year. Mrs. Hughes' allegations have made their way into two of those stories. That's hardly piling on. If and when the Page or Guilford County Schools is interested in speaking on this matter,we'd be willing to listen. Thanks

eduguytoo

September 17, 2009 - 4:56 pm EDT

Thanks for the clarification. It was only the part of the story that observed that he might transfer...and specifically back to SC from whence he came...that begged my questions. Sounds like to me his options narrow down to private schools/prep schools, and with someone of his apparent football skills, I'd think there might be a line at his front door today (and some open check books) to bring him aboard. Will be interesting to see. Why he's screwed around with all this public school hullabaloo baffles me.

Bang201

September 17, 2009 - 6:19 pm EDT

All this could actually benefit the kid. Now he doesn't have to go on the field this fall and prove anything. His stock has risen dramatically since being removed from the team mid season last year and to be honest, I never thought he played as good as all the hype made him about to be.

eduguytoo

September 17, 2009 - 11:14 pm EDT

You're right. He's gotten much more press than any high school defensive lineman I've ever heard of, and his skill set has taken on almost mythical proportions without even putting on pads. A hired agent could hardly have done more for the young man.

DaveW

September 18, 2009 - 8:51 am EDT

3 Things
1.A similar "whistle blower" email and phone line for reporting eligibility violations was used in Charlotte with some degree of success. My understanding is that Mo Green put that in place in Charlotte.
2.Please do what dcolin says and investigate all coaches. I coach and DO NOT RECRUIT.
3. I wish this had been in place 6 years ago when another GCS school recruited one of MY student/athletes and narrowly won a conference championship that my team should have won. THAT is why I despise recruiting.I do not cheat to win and I don't think anyone else should either.

DaveW

September 18, 2009 - 12:49 pm EDT

King should have gone to a private school this semester instead of wasting time and money fighting the NCHSAA

dcolin

September 18, 2009 - 1:27 pm EDT

Dave
We almost agree. However.

1 If you are going to accuse people you should reveal yourself
(use your name )

2 I really don’t want to start a witch hunt. The boy’s mother has accused
Page staff. The school system needs to respond. The coaches did or did not know
that he was living with his sister. Simple as that. He was not recruited best I can
tell. Now maybe from the NCHSAA point of view it makes no difference. However
if what the family says is true. The system (Page) has some culpability in this. They
need to recognize that.
From GCS/ Mr. Hebbard (AD)
“This is a perfect opportunity for us to teach our children through example to be more than athletes. It’s another level of character education for them.”

Now if the kid’s family is lying shame on them. However if they are telling
the truth do you think the kid will every again trust a “coach/educator”.
GCS/Page needs to make a statement. Or stop talking about character. Period

3 If you had a kid that would rather leave his friends/team mates because he
might have a better chance of winning somewhere else, you were well rid of him.

DaveW

September 18, 2009 - 3:36 pm EDT

I actually had that happen to my team in 2003.A kid was recruited away from us.It was not right then but we did not have an avenue to fight it like we do now. I do not cheat. I do not expect my athletes to cheat. I just want to compete and try to make my teams better as each season goes along with kids that live in MY ATTENDANCE ZONE. I did not call out the school that recruited from my team in 03 so I am not accusing. I am stating a fact that my athlete was poached then and I wish Mo Green had been here then instead of Terry Grier.Certain schools have gotten away with recruiting in the past and at least now they have to be careful about it.

eduguytoo

September 18, 2009 - 3:56 pm EDT

Just an observation...Northern Guilford didn't exist in 2003, so it's safe to say it isn't the school that recruited away Dave W's player. But thanks for articulating from an insider's perspective what some of us have been saying all along: THIS STUFF IS NOTHING NEW. The way things have evolved, you'd think that it is.

dcolin

September 18, 2009 - 5:44 pm EDT

"1 If you are going to accuse people you should reveal yourself
(use your name )"

I am not talking about your issue.

I am talking about the snitch line.

If one calls in to accuse people they should be required to use their name.

DaveW

September 18, 2009 - 11:14 pm EDT

I am totally ok with revealing your name if you report an ineligible athlete.eduguytoo is correct that it was not Northern(they opened in 2007) that took my athlete. If I thought I had a snowball's chance in hell of getting satisfaction in 2003 I would have ratted the culprit out and also would have told the whole state who I was and been proud to do the right thing. To this day I do not speak to that coach and he knows why I am sure. I am also one of those that some of my best friends are people I coach against. I care a great deal about my HONEST coaching fraternity brothers and sisters.We pick each others minds and make each other better in the process.Most of us do not try to cheat to succeed. Those that do, as we all know since April have given all of us a bad reputatiuon.

charlestonduck

September 19, 2009 - 9:24 am EDT

UPDATE: King enrolled yesterday at South Eugene (OR) high school.

eduguytoo

September 19, 2009 - 10:44 am EDT

If it looks like a Duck and quacks like a Duck...then it must be a Duck!

DaveW

September 19, 2009 - 4:33 pm EDT

Gabe King future All Pac10?
If he went to an ACC school he would still have to deal for a while with his high school issues from the media.
The west coast is a good move for him. He will only get positive press out there as long as he does what he needs to do on and off the field.

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