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Roughriders Football at Seattle’s is expected to face penalties from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) for breaking recruiting rules.

In a statement to Roosevelt families and staff, Bev Redmond, Chief of Staff for Seattle Public Schools (SPS), said the WIAA Executive Board found “football players had been recruited to Roosevelt…in violation of WIAA eligibility rules.”

Roosevelt coaches improperly recruited players from other schools, and even from out of state. reported in November that approximately 20 varsity players had transferred to Roosevelt High in the previous offseason. Several recruits came from schools in Spanaway and Federal Way, while others had played in California, Hawaii, or Arizona the previous year.

Penalties for recruiting

Recruiting is a serious violation, according to the WIAA, and penalties are coming soon. Penalties could include forfeiting games that involved illegally recruited players, players being benched for a year, and the school and its staff receiving fines and possible suspensions from athletics.

“The WIAA appointed a factfinder to investigate these concerns. This past weekend, the WIAA Executive Board reviewed the factfinder’s report, which concluded that football players had been recruited to Roosevelt High School in violation of WIAA eligibility rules,” Raymond wrote in an email to ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio. “The WIAA has informed us that it will be issuing formal notification letters assessing penalties.”

In response, SPS is working to update how it checks student addresses and assignments. The district stated it is taking the findings seriously and will share more once the state hands down penalties.

“We have already updated our process for verifying student residency and school assignment upon enrollment, which impacts athletic eligibility,” Raymond wrote. “Our staff is now reviewing the WIAA factfinder’s report and the penalties that have been assessed to determine our next steps.”

Roosevelt High’s football team made the playoffs for the first time since 2014, finishing with a 6-2 record and ranking fifth in its league.

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