Two former federal prosecutors will conduct the fact-finding investigation into the Bellevue High School football program, the WIAA announced on Sept. 15.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) announced that Carl Blackstone and Bob Westinghouse of Yarmuth Wilsdon PLLC will conduct the investigation into allegations made against the football team and the Academic Institute in Bellevue.
“Well, all that I’m in the position to tell you that the WIAA has made it crystal clear that they want a fair, reasonable and thorough investigation,” Westinghouse told the Reporter. “They want to level the playing field for high school activities.”
The former federal prosecutors with the United States Department of Justice have more than 50 combined years experience in investigating, according to a WIAA press release. The two men head Yarmuth Wilsdon’s white collar defense and internal investigations practice group.
Most recently, Blackstone and Westinghouse worked for the Seattle and Tacoma Public Schools as internal investigators.
“Blackstone and Westinghouse are experienced in this area with their independent in-depth, fair and thorough reviews,” WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese said in a press release.
In late August, Bellevue High School requested that the association provide a fact-finding of alleged violations. Hiring fact-finders is the next step in the WIAA process for addressing potential violations as set forth by the WIAA membership.
Outside of the announcement of the investigation and Blackstone and Westinghouse’s hiring, little information has been made available by the WIAA about the proceedings of fact-finding investigations.
A fact-finding investigation is the fourth step in investigating alleged rule infractions, and follows an initial investigation by the WIAA and communication with the offending school, according to the WIAA Handbook.
As the Reporter previously reported, the WIAA previously investigated charges that the Bellevue program had violated recruiting and offseason training rules and sanctioned Bellevue High School.
How the previous events relate to the current fact-finding investigation is unknown. A WIAA representatives declined to comment.
The WIAA staff does not initiate investigations. Instead, a member school or league must request a review that includes the perceived violation and evidence.
When asked by the Reporter what the penalties are if a school is found not to have reported violations, WIAA spokesperson Conor Laffey said that due to the many hypothetical scenarios that could necessitate a fact-finding mission, he could not be more specific and that the association would not be commenting further.
Similarly, when asked what a fact-finding investigation entails, Laffey declined to comment.
In their initial response to reports concerning the Bellevue High School football team, the association released a statement with a brief outline of the proceedings to come. After an investigation is completed, the league may accept the findings or place further sanctions on that school, which the school may appeal to the WIAA District and ultimately to the WIAA Board. If the league or the WIAA District is not comfortable with the initial findings reported by the school, either entity may request that the WIAA investigate the allegations.
During their investigation, Blackstone and Westinghouse will be looking at the WIAA rules and regulations, but will also be attempting to gather facts and determine what evidence substantiates or refutes the allegations made against the Bellevue football program, Westinghouse said.
“They make the final determination, we find the facts,” he said.
The association has previously conducted investigations into two Washington schools this year, but declined to name the schools, the circumstances of the proceedings or any other information.
However, WIAA Executive Board meeting minutes show that Inglemoor High School’s basketball team was handed a $500 fine for using 13 players during the regional basketball tournament, the girls basketball roster limit and WIAA handbook rule 18.3.0 at the regional and state level. Also former Head Coach John Augustavo was placed on suspension for the first two varsity games of the 2015-16 basketball season. As was previously reported by the Bothell/Kenmore Reporter, a sister paper of the Bellevue Reporter, the Bothell School District declined to renew Augustavo’s contract weeks later.
Meeting minutes also revealed a potential violation in District 4, which covers Southwestern Washington. There was no further information on that possible violation or any measures taken.
Neither the WIAA nor Blackstone and Westinghouse have set a timeline for the fact-finding investigation, according to Westinghouse. That being said, both parties are committed to expediting the work, but plan on being as thorough as the facts require, he said.
