BREAKING: Emory & Henry Athletic Department under NCAA investigation

This article was written by Sports Editor Evan Williamson and will be featured in the Feb. 27 issue of the paper.

The Emory & Henry College Athletic Department is currently under investigation by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regarding possible improper benefits to student athletes.

The Emory & Henry football program is suspected to have violated NCAA Division III bylaws by providing and promising extra financial incentives to athletes which are being categorized as a “lack of institutional control” in the athletics department, according to an affiliate of the College.

Emory & Henry Director of Athletics, Myra Sims, declined to give details on the current investigation.

“If there were to be an inquiry of that nature we would not be able to confirm or deny it,” Sims said.

She was then asked if she could not comment due to an ongoing investigation with the NCAA.

“All I can say is this, if there were to be anything of that nature going on I would not comment on it because the NCAA rules are very firm on confidentiality,” she added.

When asked about the investigation, Executive Assistant to the President Mark Graham also stated he could not comment on the situation.

A former Emory & Henry football player confirmed this type of recruiting as part of his personal admission into the College.

Having competed for Appalachian State University in 2011, Nathan Dorton transferred to Emory & Henry in the fall of 2012 after being recruited by former Wasps head coach Don Montgomery and offensive coordinator Stan Hodgin.

According to Dorton, he was awarded a “coaches scholarship” for pursuing physical education, promised an apartment by Hodgin, and was told that most of his academic credits he earned while at Appalachian State would transfer to Emory & Henry by the admissions department.

Both Montgomery and Hodgin were contacted multiple times and messages were left, but no calls were returned.

Dorton said Emory & Henry alumnus and current Board of Trustees member Winton Lackey helped grant him a “coaches scholarship,” for which he never applied.

Lackey was contacted about the possible investigation, and he added that he was aware and involved in the process, but stated he had not been contacted by NCAA investigators.

“I’m not at liberty to say anything right now,” Lackey said. “I know about it, and I’m involved in it. I just can’t say anything right now. It has nothing to do with the investigators or anything, it is just a commitment that we have to have.”

When asked specifically about whether or not his involvement had to do with athletic scholarships, Lackey said, “I’m not going to deny or answer, but you’re close, but I really can’t say anything.”

Former Emory & Henry Vice President of Enrollment David Hawsey was contacted about the issue with Dorton, but did not give details on the ongoing investigation.

“I am aware of it, and that is about all I am permitted to say,” Hawsey said. “I can confirm that I have been contacted by the NCAA as well.”

Because of the process involved, Hawsey has been counseled not to comment further on the issue without the permission of the NCAA Enforcement Team.

Current Emory & Henry Assistant Director of Admissions Rachel Preston stated that she was unaware of an NCAA investigation with the Emory & Henry athletics program, but did state that she remembered Dorton attending the College, but was not directly involved in his admissions process.

“Of course we are NCAA Division III and we do not offer athletic scholarships,” Preston said. “The scholarships we offer are based on merit, meaning GPA, test scores, and high school rank.”

Emory & Henry Interim Director of Student Financial Planning, Scarlett Blevins, stated that she was also unaware of the current NCAA investigation, but declined to comment on specific student cases.

Blevins did state, however, that that her department determines financial aid based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms and that they abide by descriptions given to them by the Emory & Henry Office of Institutional Advancement.

Former Emory & Henry Board of Trustees member Rick Hughes is also suspected of being involved, according to Dorton. Hughes was contacted, but unable to be reached for comment.

When Dorton left Emory & Henry in 2013, the College charged his account the sum of money that was promised for the scholarship, according to Dorton and the source affiliated with the College.

“When I left Emory, I was actually being charged the same scholarship,” Dorton said. “They were not releasing my transcripts until I paid it even though it was originally supposed to be a scholarship.”

On the academic side, the number of credits originally promised did not transfer, according to Dorton.

“When I went to [Emory & Henry] on a visit, when I was still enrolled at [Appalachian State], I was told by admissions that 69 of 82 credits would transfer,” he said. “When I actually enrolled and arrived only about 40 hours transferred and set me back tremendously.”

The NCAA was contacted via email through their inquiry page on the official NCAA website, but their public and media relations team stated that “due to rules put in place by our membership, we cannot comment on current, pending or potential investigations.”

Emory & Henry Director of Public Relations Dirk Moore stated that he was unaware of the situation.

“I am not [aware], but if it is NCAA investigating you have to be very careful,” Moore said. “When they do those things, they really put the clamp down. They don’t like to have any information going out about investigations.”

This article is ongoing as well, and as new details arrive they will be reported in The Whitetopper’s weekly issues and via social media.