Harvest prep is slapped by OHSAA

Harvest Preparatory School’s athletic teams will be banned from postseason play for the rest of this school year through 2012-13 as part of its punishment for using ineligible players and coaches, changing grades and recruiting athletes, the Ohio High School Athletic Association says.

The Dispatch obtained the email that the OHSAA recently sent the school that details the results of its nine-month investigation and subsequent penalties.

“I can confirm that the OHSAA has sent the letter of its findings to Harvest Prep and is waiting to hear if Harvest Prep will comply or if there are other steps to be taken,” OHSAA assistant commissioner Bob Goldring said. “Other than that, I cannot comment because we have not yet heard from Harvest Prep.”

Contacted last night, Harvest Prep spokesman Mark Youngkin said: “HPS is surprised at any suggestion that the Ohio High School Athletic Association has determined final penalties against Harvest Preparatory School.

“Our understanding of the situation as of 8 p.m. tonight, from conversations between our attorneys and officials at the highest level of the OHSAA, is that no decisions on possible sanctions have been made to this point, and that these discussions are ongoing.

“HPS continues to provide information to the OHSAA at its request, and is committed to fully and transparently cooperating with the association in its investigation.”

The school, located just north of Canal Winchester and owned and operated by televangelist Rod Parsley, also will be fined $2,500 and must pay $30,000 for the investigation conducted by outside investigators Stanley Evans and James Thompson.

The OHSAA said it is giving Harvest Prep the opportunity to “right its ship’’ during the next two years with the aid of an administrator hired by the OHSAA and paid for by the school. That person is to work inside the school, overseeing day-to-day athletic operations and having access to all financial records and student files.

Once the school completes the postseason ban, it is to be placed on three years’ probation, through 2015-16.

The OHSAA spelled out a number of other penalties, with the football and boys and girls basketball teams hit particularly hard:

• All football games from the 2010 season must be forfeited because two players who should have been academically ineligible had their grades changed. The football team went 6-4 last season.

• All boys basketball games in 2010-11 must be forfeited, and the Division IV basketball state runner-up trophy and regional and district championship trophies surrendered, for playing a transfer who was ineligible.

• All girls basketball games in 2008-09 must be forfeited, and the Division IV district championship trophy relinquished, for allowing two ineligible players to compete.

The names of the ineligible players were not in the email.

The girls basketball teams that won the last two Division IV state championships were not mentioned in the report.

Harvest Prep participates in the Mid-State League’s Cardinal Division.

Read more of this story at dispatch.com