The head coach of a Tennessee high school football team has labeled himself a scapegoat after the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association vacated all of Clinton High School's 2023 wins due to player eligibility and grade-changing issues.
As reported by CBS affiliate WVLT in Knoxville, the TSSAA action came this week on the belief that a student-athlete who played for the football team “did not earn the required number of credits the previous school year to be academically eligible.”
Moreover, a controversy alleging that the grades of Clinton students were changed has also rocked the school, according to Kristian Dyer of Yahoo Sports, citing a report by Knoxville's WBIR. Because of the scandal, principal Dan Jenkins resigned and two teachers were terminated.
The contract of Darrell Keith, the head football coach at Clinton, was not renewed for the 2024-25 school year..
“I’m a scapegoat,” Keith told WVLT. “I spent 27 years, faithfully in the United States Military. I don’t know if it was because I am Black or an easy target. I’m really hurt; I’m really torn up about it.”
According to a letter from TSSAA provided to WVLT News, the school self-reported that Keith played a student who did not earn the required number of credits the previous school year to be academically eligible.
This revelation came after the Anderson County School system and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed separate investigations into Jenkins and teachers Rachel Jones and Clay Turpin, who were all accused of changing student grades in order to let them pass.
Keith was also mentioned by name during an ACS special-called meeting centering on the grade changes. A transcript says Keith ordered some students’ grades to be replaced.
“At some point in approximately August 2022, Keith came into Jones’ room and showed her a transcript with marks by certain grades. According to Jones, Keith said she needed to ‘replace the grades’ by placing the student into Odysseyware classes,” the transcript reads.
In addition to forfeiting the games, the school was also ordered to pay a $250 fine for the 13 games in which the ineligible student competed.
