NCISAA finds Village Christian violated rules, school will forfeit wins and faces probation
By Nick Stevens, HighSchoolOT.com manaing editor
Fayetteville, N.C. — The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association investigation into Village Christian Academy's football program found that students were recruited to play football and that the program offered impermissible benefits to student-athletes, the association said Monday afternoon.
According to the NCISAA, the results of the infractions will include a number of penalties, including forfeiting all football wins in 2017 and 2018, which includes a state runner-up title in 2017 and a state championship title from last season. In addition, Village Christian Academy has been placed on probation through the 2020-2021 school year and will be fined an undisclosed amount.
Village Christian won eight football games in 2017 and went on to finish as the runner-up in the NCISAA state playoffs. Last season, the Knights posted an 11-1 overall record and won the NCISAA Division III state championship. The state championship and the state runner-up finishes will be vacated, according to the NCISAA.
No other penalties will be imposed on Village Christian by the NCISAA.
"The NCISAA is satisfied with the actions taken by Village Christian Academy’s Senior Administration to resolve this matter and implement measures to prevent any such incidents in the future," the NCISAA said in a statement.
Village Christian Superintendent Tom Rider sent an email to families at the school on Monday afternoon outlining the finding of the NCISAA investigation.
"As the administrative authority of VCA we accept their decision," Rider said in the email.
Rider also listed a number of actions the school would take as a result of the investigation. Among the action, the administration is reviewing whether or not to continue the football program at Village Christian and will discontinue bus service from Raleigh to Fayetteville for the 2019-2020 school year. Numerous football players were using the bus service from Raleigh to get to school each day.
Additionally, Rider said any future tuition payments that do not come from a parent or legal guardian will be reviewed. The school will also clearly document all coaching stipends and clarify a policy that prevents any coach from assigning their stipend to another person.
"These actions (and) steps are being taken, not as a result of specific evidence of wrongdoing, but in an effort to strengthen our policies and procedures," Rider said. "As your school superintendent I am committed to correcting any errors and moving forward to strengthen our reputation, policies and procedures."
Rider added that ever student at the school followed the same enrollment procedure and that every parent or guardian has accepted the responsibility for paying tuition.
"Our administrative team has not and will not extend financial privileges to any student based on their athletic ability," Rider added. "We have made mistakes but we have never intentionally taken any action outside of what we believed to be acceptable and in the best interest of our students."
Accusations of recruiting and promises of free tuition were made by two players and their families in February. Both spoke to HighSchoolOT.com. Isaiah Henderson and Geo Cannon were two of six players who transferred from Athens Drive High School in Raleigh to Village Christian.
Henderson said he was recruited to the school after meeting head football coach Emerson Martin at a prospect camp at East Carolina University. Cannon said he wasn't recruited, that he followed his friend to the school, but both claim they were offered free tuition.
Once football season was over, Henderson and Cannon claim they were removed from the school due to unpaid tuition.
A video recording of a meeting between Henderson's parents, Martin and his wife, shows Martin discussing tuition payments. In an interview with HighSchoolOT.com last week, assistant football coach Keith McCrimmon said Martin told him in February he had paid $9,000 of his own money towards the tuition of football players.
At least 11 football players from the Triangle area were making the trip to Village Christian every day, including six from Athens Drive, three from Southeast Raleigh, one from Knightdale and one from Bunn. Another player from Eastern Alamance also made the trip to Fayetteville each day.
McCrimmon said as many as 14 kids would be dropped off at Martin's house in Raleigh each morning. Martin would drive a church van from Raleigh to Fayetteville each day.
HighSchoolOT.com has contacted Martin multiple times via email and telephone. Reached on Mar. 1, Martin said there were two sides to every story but declined to comment. Attempts to reach him since have been unsuccessful.
Village Christian Academy could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday after the NCISAA released the results of the investigation, however the school has said in the past that it takes the allegations very seriously.
Last week, Martin was removed from his position as head football coach and weightlifting teacher at the school. He was hired in 2017 and spent two seasons as the coach at the school.
By Nick Stevens, HighSchoolOT.com manaing editor
Fayetteville, N.C. — The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association investigation into Village Christian Academy's football program found that students were recruited to play football and that the program offered impermissible benefits to student-athletes, the association said Monday afternoon.
According to the NCISAA, the results of the infractions will include a number of penalties, including forfeiting all football wins in 2017 and 2018, which includes a state runner-up title in 2017 and a state championship title from last season. In addition, Village Christian Academy has been placed on probation through the 2020-2021 school year and will be fined an undisclosed amount.
Village Christian won eight football games in 2017 and went on to finish as the runner-up in the NCISAA state playoffs. Last season, the Knights posted an 11-1 overall record and won the NCISAA Division III state championship. The state championship and the state runner-up finishes will be vacated, according to the NCISAA.
No other penalties will be imposed on Village Christian by the NCISAA.
"The NCISAA is satisfied with the actions taken by Village Christian Academy’s Senior Administration to resolve this matter and implement measures to prevent any such incidents in the future," the NCISAA said in a statement.
Village Christian Superintendent Tom Rider sent an email to families at the school on Monday afternoon outlining the finding of the NCISAA investigation.
"As the administrative authority of VCA we accept their decision," Rider said in the email.
Rider also listed a number of actions the school would take as a result of the investigation. Among the action, the administration is reviewing whether or not to continue the football program at Village Christian and will discontinue bus service from Raleigh to Fayetteville for the 2019-2020 school year. Numerous football players were using the bus service from Raleigh to get to school each day.
Additionally, Rider said any future tuition payments that do not come from a parent or legal guardian will be reviewed. The school will also clearly document all coaching stipends and clarify a policy that prevents any coach from assigning their stipend to another person.
"These actions (and) steps are being taken, not as a result of specific evidence of wrongdoing, but in an effort to strengthen our policies and procedures," Rider said. "As your school superintendent I am committed to correcting any errors and moving forward to strengthen our reputation, policies and procedures."
Rider added that ever student at the school followed the same enrollment procedure and that every parent or guardian has accepted the responsibility for paying tuition.
"Our administrative team has not and will not extend financial privileges to any student based on their athletic ability," Rider added. "We have made mistakes but we have never intentionally taken any action outside of what we believed to be acceptable and in the best interest of our students."
Accusations of recruiting and promises of free tuition were made by two players and their families in February. Both spoke to HighSchoolOT.com. Isaiah Henderson and Geo Cannon were two of six players who transferred from Athens Drive High School in Raleigh to Village Christian.
Henderson said he was recruited to the school after meeting head football coach Emerson Martin at a prospect camp at East Carolina University. Cannon said he wasn't recruited, that he followed his friend to the school, but both claim they were offered free tuition.
Once football season was over, Henderson and Cannon claim they were removed from the school due to unpaid tuition.
A video recording of a meeting between Henderson's parents, Martin and his wife, shows Martin discussing tuition payments. In an interview with HighSchoolOT.com last week, assistant football coach Keith McCrimmon said Martin told him in February he had paid $9,000 of his own money towards the tuition of football players.
At least 11 football players from the Triangle area were making the trip to Village Christian every day, including six from Athens Drive, three from Southeast Raleigh, one from Knightdale and one from Bunn. Another player from Eastern Alamance also made the trip to Fayetteville each day.
McCrimmon said as many as 14 kids would be dropped off at Martin's house in Raleigh each morning. Martin would drive a church van from Raleigh to Fayetteville each day.
HighSchoolOT.com has contacted Martin multiple times via email and telephone. Reached on Mar. 1, Martin said there were two sides to every story but declined to comment. Attempts to reach him since have been unsuccessful.
Village Christian Academy could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday after the NCISAA released the results of the investigation, however the school has said in the past that it takes the allegations very seriously.
Last week, Martin was removed from his position as head football coach and weightlifting teacher at the school. He was hired in 2017 and spent two seasons as the coach at the school.
