CHEHALIS — Camas football coach Jon Eagle saw his penalty for a recruiting violation reduced at an appeals hearing Thursday, but the school and assistant coach Dan Kielty were hit with stiffer penalties.
The executive board of the WIAA’s District 4 voted to reduce Eagle’s four-game suspension to three games at the start of the 2015 season. Kielty, the team’s defensive coordinator, saw his one-game suspension increased to three games.
Eagle and Kielty were penalized by the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League on May 6. On Thursday, Camas took advantage of its first opportunity to appeal. The Columbian has obtained Camas High School’s initial self-report letter, which provides details into the actions that led to Eagle’s suspension.
Besides the modifications to the coaches’ penalties, Camas was fined $2,000 to be used for “coaches educational purposes only,” according to the District 4 board, and the athletic program at Camas High School has been placed on probation for one year. Those were additional penalties not levied against Camas by the 4A GSHL.
Rory Oster, the athletic director at Camas, confirmed Thursday that the school will appeal the district’s decision. The executive board of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association would hear that appeal, according to District 4 officials.
Eagle and Oster were present for Thursday’s appeal. Eagle left the meeting — held at a restaurant in Chehalis — before the vote was held. Eagle said he would have no comment today regardless of the ruling. Kielty was not present at the meeting. He did not return a text message seeking comment prior to publication.
Class 4A GSHL athletic directors took action earlier this month when Camas self-reported that Eagle met with a student from another high school and discussed eligibility and the Camas football program.
On May 6, the league ruled that the actions detailed in Camas’ self-report was an “illegal recruiting” violation.
Oster brought the issue to the league at the May 6 athletic directors meeting with a letter dated April 28. He described a meeting between Eagle and the student as an “unacceptable action.” He suggested that the football program be placed on probation for two years.
Eagle’s meeting with the student “did not fit the ethical philosophy” of Camas athletics, according to Oster’s letter.
The league ADs did not accept Oster’s recommendation of probation.
While it was a self-report, Camas officials dispute that there was any recruiting, even if the meeting with the student was ill-advised.
“I wholeheartedly believe there was absolutely no attempt to recruit an athlete from another school,” Oster said in a statement May 6, noting then that the school would appeal the decision to the highest level. Camas is appealing the severity of the penalties.
What is not in dispute is a meeting took place between Camas’ head coach and an athlete from another school.
According to Oster’s letter, a student from another school approached a teacher at his current school and informed him he wanted to transfer to Camas. Kielty is a teacher at Evergreen High School.
Kielty told the student he cannot get involved in the process and gave Eagle’s phone number to the student.
The student and his grandfather contacted Eagle and asked to meet. Eagle met with the student and grandfather at a local business, according to Oster’s letter, and answered questions regarding eligibility and the Camas football program.
“Camas High School head coach informed the student-athlete that the only way he would be eligible and allowed to play for Camas High School is if his whole immediate family moved into the district,” Oster wrote. “The student-athlete then asked the head coach questions regarding the football program which the head coach answered.”
Oster wrote that he informed the head coach and assistant coach that this was an “unacceptable action that is not condoned” by the Camas athletic department.
Oster also sent an e-mail to all coaches at Camas to inform them of the proper procedures when they are contacted by potential athletes from another school district.
Oster also came to the defense of Eagle in his April 28 letter, calling Eagle “a coach I consider of the highest integrity who acted with the best interest of the student-athlete in mind above the potential benefits of his program.”
Oster’s letter concluded that this is Eagle’s “first ever reported violation of the WIAA rules.”
The 4A GSHL concluded the action to be a violation of Rule 27.1.0 B (illegal recruiting) in the WIAA Handbook.
There are three levels of violations, according to the WIAA. Recruiting is a Level 3 violation, the highest. Suggested penalties for Level 3 include suspension for up to one year, a fine of up to $2,500, and forfeiture of contests.
The 4A GSHL instead went with a four-game suspension (44 percent of a typical regular season) for Eagle, which is closer to the suggested penalty for a Level 2 violation — suspension of up to 50 percent of a season.
Camas football remains eligible for postseason play.
Leta Meyer, the president of the 4A GSHL and athletic director at Heritage, released a statement Thursday afternoon:
“I oversaw the meeting that included a self-report from a member high school. While it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specifics of the self report, as it is presently in the appeals process, I will note how such matters work. … Upon hearing the report and discussing it at length, league representatives decide on a course of action. At that point in time, the school can either accept the course of action set forth by the league or appeal the decision to District IV, the greater body that oversees the local league.
“District IV has the power to alter the decision made at the local level in any manner that they see fit. If necessary, a member school can appeal the decision all the way to the WIAA executive board.
“Out of respect for the member school and the appeals process, the 4A GSHL will not comment further at this point in time.”
