Tahlequah Daily Press

High School Sports

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
December 24, 2012

Suit filed on behalf of Sequoyah coach, administrator

CNHI reports

A wrongful lawsuit has been filed in a Cherokee Nation district court on behalf of two Sequoyah High Schools seeking reinstatement and/or damages.

The suit, filed by Chad Smith, the former Cherokee Nation chief acting as the attorney in the case, is in behalf of head football coach Brent Scott and assistant athletic director Dale Miller. Both received termination papers earlier this month.

The dismissals would seem to be directed at athletic department difficulties that saw the school vacate a state title in slowpitch softball and nine football wins in 2012.

The suit, which was filed on Thursday, does not include Larry Grigg, the former boys basketball coach who became full-time athletic director and was maintaining his position over the slowpitch program at the time they won the title. Grigg was terminated from all duties, including  the  head girls basketball coaching job he was given in the summer. Larry Shade had taken over the basketball duties.  Grigg, who did not return calls to his cell phone on Friday, is according to sources seeking employment elsewhere.

Scott, whose son Brayden was the Indians’ quarterback the past four seasons, signed a letter of intent on Wednesday to play football at the University of Memphis. He signed at a Tulsa sporting goods store, saying at the time he was prevented from having the ceremony at the school he graduates from in December. The elder Scott told the Phoenix that he had “some irons in the fire” regarding other opportunities, but would not elaborate.

The suit alleges that both Brent Scott and Miller were denied a pre-termination due process as provided by the Cherokee Nation Constitution and that superintendent Leroy Qualls acted without the consent of the school’s Board of Education. Attempts to reach Qualls into late Friday were unsuccessful.

Sequoyah forfeited nine football wins and its spot in the Class 3A football playoffs when 12 players were suspended over attending summer camps paid for by the school in violation of an Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association rule. And the school vacated its 2012 Class 5A state title in girls softball for using an ineligible player after the OSSAA denied Kelsey Leach's retroactive hardship eligibility appeal in September.

Since that occurred, the OSSAA retracted thea action and restored Sequoyah's state title.

Grigg said at the time he bore responsibility as athletic director for failing to see the proper paperwork was filed in the case of Leach and other Sequoyah athletes.

Text Only
High School Sports
Poll

Where do you think bicycle trails are most needed in Cherokee County?

In the downtown corridor.
Not downtown, because it would be too congested, but on peripheral streets, like Bluff, Downing and College, and Muskogee but not downtown.
On the rural highways mainly in recreational areas, like Highways 10 and 82.
Only in special areas, like parks.
I do not think Cherokee County needs any (or more) bike trails.
     View Results
Press Sports Twitter Updates
Follow us on twitter
Follow me on Twitter
AP Video
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends Aug. Trial Set for Ohio Man in Triple Kidnapping Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8 Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions Raw: Car Jumps Curb in NYC, Injures 8 Unusual Heat Wave Bakes Alaska Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
Stocks
Bedlam