official statement from ihsa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Title: IHSA Announces Suspension of Whitney Young Boys Basketball Coach Following Investigation

In Brief: Practice at middle school outside district leads to 10-day suspension for Tyrone Slaughter

Schools: Whitney Young

Activities/Sports: Boys Basketball

Unformatted Release: Pasted below

Contact: Matt Troha (mtroha@ihsa.org)

IHSA Announces Suspension of Whitney Young Boys Basketball Coach Following Investigation

Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Executive Director Marty Hickman ruled today that Chicago (Whitney Young) High School head basketball coach Tyrone Slaughter will be suspended until February 14 from all team events, including contact with players and coaches, practices, games and any other organized team activities. The suspension comes as a result of the team’s practice at Burr Ridge Middle School in Hinsdale on November 12. In addition, the school and the Whitney Young boy’s basketball program will be placed on probation until January 1, 2012.

“This was not an event that came together at a moment’s notice,” said Hickman. “Whitney Young’s basketball program had ample time to seek clearance from its athletic administration, high school administration or from the IHSA. Had they done so, they would have been notified that a practice of this nature violates the IHSA Recruiting Bylaws, specifically 3.071 and 3.073.”

The practice was held in front of several members of the Burr Ridge Middle School boy’s and girl’s basketball teams, who were invited to attend by school administrators who had helped organize the practice. Whitney Young had a conflict at its campus gymnasium on that day and practiced at the middle school en route to a team event that evening.

“This practice violated the IHSA recruiting by-laws and would have done so even if none of the attendees were basketball players,” added Hickman. “The fact Whitney Young traveled some 20 miles from its campus to conduct a practice, with an audience which was made up almost exclusively of middle school basketball players was especially troubling. A school’s administration can market its programs, but it has to be done in the overall context of the school’s academic and extracurricular programs. This event was conducted by the coach and only provided the attendees with the opportunity to learn about Whitney Young’s boy’s basketball program.”

Hickman continued, “With that said, we did not find evidence that any particular players were recruited, as was previously alleged.”

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