[Batpuff]

News out of the High School Football world that is not so positive...

The KHSAA has placed the Prestonsburg High School Football team on probation for two years and fined them more than six thousand dollars for recruiting violations involving a judge.

The order says that court of appeals judge and an assistant principal recruited two teens to Prestonsburg High School offering them a place to live, free dinners, and college scholarships.

The order says barber arranged for the boys to live on some of his property for free... Prestonsburg High School principals say they discovered the violations and turned them into the KHSAA.

Appeals court judge blamed for football recruiting violations at Prestonsburg High

By Michael Casagrande

HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

A Kentucky Court of Appeals judge is at the center of recruiting violations committed by the Prestonsburg High School football program that will cost the school more than $6,600.

David A. Barber, who also was an assistant football coach at Prestonsburg, violated Kentucky High School Athletic Association rules when he had contact with two football players from nearby Allen Central High School. Barber, who has been on the bench since 1999, is up for re-election in November.

The KHSAA fined the school $3,000 and placed it on probation for two years. Prestonsburg also had to pay $3,630.79 for investigation expenses.

According to a 12-page ruling dated May 17 that was sent to Prestonsburg High School from KHSAA Commissioner Brigid DeVries, Barber committed "serious violations" of its regulations against recruiting.

According to the ruling, Barber spoke to Allen Central players David Sloan and Ben Moore, who were interested in transferring to Prestonsburg. Although the two players made the initial contact at Barber's home, Barber was found in violation of the bylaw because he didn't immediately refer the two to the school principal.

Instead, Barber told Sloan and Moore that Prestonsburg "would love to have them," according to a letter Barber sent to the KHSAA.

In the letter Barber submitted Aug. 1, he said he accompanied Sloan and Moore to speak with Jerry Butcher, Prestonsburg's assistant principal and athletics director, the day after the players came to his home.

He also told the two students he assumed they were athletes and that he was "very familiar with the case law and KHSAA requirements concerning eligibility and transferring students."

Barber also broke the rules when he provided the two students with a house for rent even though they didn't need to establish residency in the town because Prestonsburg has an open enrollment policy.

According to the lease agreement, the father of one of the boys, Darrell Adkins, was supposed to work the equivalent of $300 a month at Barber's farm to cover the rent at the house. Adkins said he never paid the electricity bill on the farm house as required in the lease.

In a statement dated March 22, Barber said he was not trying to recruit Sloan and Moore. He said he was just a volunteer trying to answer questions.

In 2003, Prestonsburg was penalized by the KHSAA for allowing an ineligible student to participate in the football program. DeVries said there was a lack of institutional control at Prestonsburg, evident in the two violations in such a short time.

Prestonsburg principal Ted George said today that the school has until June 30 to file an appeal. The decision whether to appeal could come in the next few days, but George said he is considering only a challenge on the severity of the fine. The school admits it "unintentionally" broke the rules, he said.