King High School basketball coach Landon “Sonny” Cox could face suspension if charges that he knowingly played an ineligible player are approved by Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Paul Vallas.
Although charges surfaced two weeks ago that Cox attempted to get grades changed for all-city guard Larry Allaway, the investigation now appears focused on the issue of ineligibility, officials investigating the incident said.
The charges state that Cox allegedly played Allaway though he failed three classes, making him ineligible.
If a school is found to be playing an ineligible player, the school could be made to forfeit those games, and the coach can be suspended, school board officials said. A case of coercion to change grades would be a firable offense.
“There is one other coach in the Chicago Public School League we are investigating for using an ineligible player, and he could also face suspension,” Vallas said.
Allegations that Allaway was ineligible were made by a rival team with access to the computer database that list all public school league players and their grades, officials said.
Officials declined to name the rival team or the other coach under investigation.
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King local school council Chairman Ronald Sistrunk said he would recommend at Tuesday’s council meeting at the high school that Cox be removed as head basketball coach; the school be put on one-year postseason probation; Cox’s assistant coaches be barred from coaching for two years; the athletic director be given a letter of reprimand; and Principal Ronald Smith be fired.
Local school councils have the power to recommend the hiring of principals, which is generally approved by the school board. The councils also make recommendations for dismissals.
“We have got to stop this insanity of basketball first and education second,” Sistrunk said. “We need to be telling the kids to get an MBA before they start thinking about the NBA.”
According to investigation records, Allaway got failing grades in algebra, environmental education and graphic communication. Allaway said he was experiencing personal problems at home during that time. Though, he said, one F was changed to a D, he remained ineligible.
Allaway’s personal problems caused him to miss some school work, officials said. But in the public school system there is no grade of incomplete, so teachers have to give the student a lower grade on the condition that if the work is made up, the student will receive the higher grade, Vallas said.
In two of the three courses, Allaway failed to complete the makeup work, according to transcripts. So far there appears to be little evidence of pressure to change grades, investigators have said.
According to the investigation report, Cox, an assistant principal in charge of discipline, said he suspended Sistrunk’s son for 10 days after he and others were caught stealing gym shoes. Cox believes that’s why he’s being investigated.
As for Smith, the principal, he likely would not be penalized for the Allaway incident. However, he still must answer for the school’s poor academic performance.
“The school is already on remediation and the principal is one step away from removal,” Vallas said.