Ruling on Scott County's Flannery could be overturned

By Valarie Honeycutt Spears - vhoneycutt@herald-leader.com

Basketball player Austin Flannery is joining future UK player Dakotah Euton and standout Chad Jackson in getting a recommendation from a Kentucky High School Athletic Association hearing officer that his ineligible status at Scott County High School be overturned, a new KHSAA report says.

None of the three juniors have a final ruling yet. But now both of the KHSAA's hearing officers have issued reports saying there's no evidence that there was “collusion” by perennial power Scott County High to get the three players to transfer.

Flannery, a 6-foot-3 player regarded as a strong three-point shooter, played on the same AAU summer team as Jackson and Euton.

KHSAA Commissioner Brigid DeVries ruled all three players ineligible under KHSAA bylaws following their transfers to Scott County High School. Euton and Jackson transferred from Rose Hill Christian in Boyd County to Scott County. Flannery moved from Boone County to Scott County.

The KHSAA transfer rule states that any student who played “in any varsity game in any sport at any school” after entering the ninth grade and who transfers is ineligible to play any sport at any level for one year. Exceptions are made for some students including those who move with their families before enrolling at the new school.

All three players appealed DeVries' ruling, leading to a meeting with a hearing officer.

In July, one of two KHSAA Hearing Officers — Edmund “Pete” Karem — recommended that the 6-8 Euton and 6-4 Jackson made bonafide moves with their families to Scott County and should be found eligible.

“The evidence that two other members of his AAU basketball team transferred to Scott County High School could give rise to an inference that there was collusion on the part of these students to transfer to Scott County High School; however, there is no evidence that was presented at the appeals hearing that would support a conclusion based on such an inference,” Karem said in his report on Euton.

On Aug. 13, KHSAA Hearing Officer John Adams issued a report saying that Flannery's move along with the other two were also legitimate. Adams is a retired Fayette Circuit Judge and Karem, a retired Jefferson Circuit Judge.

“There was not any evidence presented at this hearing to establish any collusion by these students and Scott County High to circumvent the established rules for eligibility of transferring students,” Adams wrote.

Ron Flannery, Austin Flannery's father, presented evidence that the family moved from Boone County to Scott County in May because he was driving long distances to work. Ron Flannery works as an accountant and consultant and he said Scott County is closer to his firm's offices in Richmond and Campton.

“The KHSAA should not look at these three as a group,” Ron Flannery said in an interview this week. “They should look at them individually and make their decision based on the facts.”

The KHSAA Board of Control, whose 18 members consist largely of school administrators and athletic directors, will consider the recommendations for Euton and Jackson on Aug. 25.

KHSAA spokesperson Butch Cope confirmed that Flannery's Board of Control hearing is set for a Sept. 29-30 meeting.

Herald-Leader staff writer Mike Fields contributed to this article.

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