Rowan County High football coach suspended pending state inquiry

Rowan County High School football coach Ray Graham has been suspended with pay since late February, pending a Kentucky Office of Education Accountability investigation, principal Ray Ginter said.

Ginter and Rowan County Superintendent Marvin Moore said they didn’t know details about the allegations under review by the Office of Education Accountability. That office monitors the state’s elementary and secondary public education system and investigates allegations of violations of school law.

Karen M. Timmel, division director of investigations for the accountability office, said in an email that the office “does not comment on the subject matter of pending investigations.”

But Timmel confirmed that it “has a pending case in the Rowan County School District.”

In 2014, WKYT-TV reported that Ginter had asked Graham not to lead the football players in prayer before games so the school could stay within constitutional guidelines. Ginter told the Herald-Leader this week that under the U.S. Constitution, students may lead prayers, but teachers and coaches may not.

Ginter said he didn’t have details of the allegations, but he didn’t think the 2014 incident was involved. He also said he didn’t think the allegations were related to character.

“He’s top-notch as far as that goes,” Ginter said. He has known Graham since Graham was a freshman coach and Ginter was in high school at Fort Thomas Highlands in the 1970s.

Ginter said Graham was suspended with pay in late February because “there were so many rumors, it was really starting to disrupt the educational process.” There were disagreements between those who supported Graham and those who didn’t.

He said students have told him that Graham is a father figure.

Ginter said Graham had been teaching two physical education classes and a class that aims to improve study habits for students who are struggling academically.

As of noon Tuesday, Graham hadn’t returned several telephone messages left by the Herald-Leader.

Moore, the superintendent, said he couldn’t discuss the allegations or make a final decision on Graham’s job until he gets a final report from the accountability office. Agency officials are looking into allegations sent to them a couple of months ago, he said.

“We want to do what’s best for our kids, and we’ll go from there after we get the report,” he said.

Moore said assistant coaches would conduct spring football practice.

A 2014 news release on the school district website said Graham started his head coaching career at Rowan County High School in 1980 after being an assistant coach at Fort Thomas Highlands, Liberty University and Franklin County High School. After leaving Rowan County, he spent 25 years as head coach at Harrison County High School.

After retiring, Graham moved to Lexington Christian Academy, where he was an assistant coach for two years and head coach for four years.

He returned to Rowan County as head coach of the Vikings in May 2014, the news release said.

Graham has coached three teams to undefeated regular seasons, has twice been named coach of the year in Kentucky, and was part of a Class A state championship at Lexington Christian Academy in 2009, the news release said.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Rowan County High football coach suspended pending state inquiry."