February 2023 Statement From WHS Wrestling Team Parents
February 2023 Statement From WHS Wrestling Team Parents
We are writing as a group of concerned parents and family members regarding the recent
decision to suspend the Wheaton High School wrestling team for the remainder of the 2022-
2023 season. We have a number of escalating concerns regarding both the decision itself and
how the decision was taken and communicated. Our main questions and points of contention
are outlined below.
I. Lack of Transparency and Due Process
● We have not been told even basic facts, such as who is making the decisions on this
matter. Have the sanctions been handed down from the county level (MCPS)? The
state level (MPSSAA)?
● We assume that MCPS procedures would be consistent with MPSSAA procedures
on issues such as this. However, to date, we have not received any clear
explanation of what the violations were, how the procedures outlined in the MPSSAA
Handbook (“Handbook”) were applied, and how the penalty was decided. For
example, rule 3.05 (Handbook p. 25) differentiates between a coaching violation and
a team violation. Why is this being assessed as a team violation rather than a
coaching violation?
● The same article of the Handbook (pp. 26-27) also outlines a tiered approach to
disciplinary actions: penalties should be imposed in a prescribed order that begins
with match forfeiture at the team level, and censure at the coaching level. Why were
the Wheaton HS team and coaches immediately sanctioned with the harshest tier of
penalties rather than following the progression that is mandated in the Handbook?
● This same article of the Handbook also stipulates clear procedural steps to be taken
when a violation is suspected, including a time-bound hearing and appeals process.
To our knowledge, no such hearing was convened—certainly not one that sought
input from key stakeholders, including students and parents, in any meaningful way.
In addition, at the Feb. 2 meeting between our student-athletes, parents, and
administrators, administrators stated that the decision was irreversible and there was
no further available recourse. This is an obvious contradiction to the protocol
established in the Handbook, and the statement is nothing short of misleading.
● In addition to these procedural errors, the Feb. 2 meeting was heavy with innuendo
about additional serious infractions beyond the issue of playing an ineligible wrestler.
We were then told that no further information would be forthcoming in regard to these
additional allegations, while in parallel being told to speak to our kids about rules
compliance. Aside from the sheer absurdity of this, we consider this to also be a due
process violation, as our kids have had no opportunity to understand what they are
meant to have done, or to address those charges.
● In the absence of any information from the administration, we as parents were forced
to speculate on the nature of these further infractions. Based on insinuations made
during the Feb. 2 meeting, and the fact that our kids’ phones were inspected, we are
conjecturing that the team’s group chat may have been deemed problematic. If this
is in fact the case, our concern is that while some of the language used in the chat
isn’t ideal, the information seems to have been viewed in a vacuum, and no regard
given to the fact that the team's actions have been overwhelmingly positive. We
contend that once again, the administration should not have exclusive consideration
of the shortcomings of what was posted in a group chat while ignoring that the
team's actions and actual behavior were actually very positive and outstanding.
● Notably, these supposed additional infractions were not mentioned in the violation
letter issued to the community on Feb. 3., which leads us to believe that either these
accusations were not sufficiently substantiated, or that the letter to the community
was premature and incomplete. Again, there is a lack of transparency and serious
engagement in the process.
● Finally, the adjudication process in the handbook indicates multiple checkpoints to
ensure an open and transparent process. At this point, we have not seen any
evidence of this being anything other than an arbitrary and capricious decision of a
small handful of individuals who have demonstrably not followed their own process in
the handling of this matter. Moreover, our belief is that the ultimate decision to
terminate Wheaton HS wrestling for the season unfairly apportions blame to all the
wrestlers and all the coaches for a technical violation made by a single coach.
II. Statement in Regard to Justin Ellis and Wheaton HS Coaching
Staff
● The Wheaton HS community understands that Coach Ellis made a mistake in
competing an ineligible wrestler. Coach Ellis himself acknowledges this. At the same
time, the motivation of the head coach to include a non-Wheaton HS student was
clearly not to gain a competitive advantage, but to give a wrestler who has no home
wrestling program a chance for mat time. Despite the undoubted fact that the head
coach made a mistake, his good intentions have never been acknowledged and his
reputation disproportionately impugned.
● Overall, Coach Ellis has served as an incredible role model for our kids, and he has
reached them in a way they will value forever. We are deeply disappointed that there
has been no acknowledgement from the school about the significant positives he has
provided to the kids, and how much he clearly values the wrestlers and his
relationships with them. The decision to ask Coach Ellis to step down seems to have
discounted his contributions and has not taken any mitigating factors into
consideration.
● As referenced in the section above, and in light of the overall positive impact he has
had with our kids, we do not understand why the severest possible penalty was
immediately levied on a first-year coach, rather than applying any of the three lesser-
tier penalties that are outlined in the Handbook.
● The penalties handed down to the coaching staff also seem arbitrary and capricious.
For example, we are aware of this incident in MCPS where football coaches actively
incited a physical altercation, and were punished with a one game suspension; and
of this incident where it took a full 15 months to obtain a resignation from a football
coach whose players sexually assaulted fellow team mates. It is quite difficult for us
to see any consistent application of the rules at a county level, or to understand the
reasoning around these disparate treatments. It appears that a technical
infringement has been managed with far more alacrity and severity than incidents
that have directly jeopardized students’ safety and well-being. We are looking for an
explanation of why Coach Ellis was targeted for such a comparatively harsh
response.
III. Treatment of Wheaton Student-Athletes
● Finally – and most importantly – we feel compelled to address the treatment of our
student-athletes, who have admirably represented both the school and the county
throughout the season. The collective blaming of wrestlers for the head coach’s
admittedly unwise decision is shameful. In fact, several wrestlers reported that they
didn’t even realize that the ineligible wrestler was actually ineligible.
● All the parents who have watched the wrestlers compete this season have noted
their great sportsmanship, poise, hard work, and teamwork. Instead of
acknowledging this great achievement, there have been inappropriate insinuations of
misbehavior without any evidence whatsoever.
● The “investigation” that was conducted by administrators was described by some
students as more of an interrogation, which included unlawful threats of property
seizure and other bullying tactics. This represents an unacceptable disregard for the
rights of our student-athletes, and again points to a lack of adherence to policy and
procedure throughout.
We are therefore requesting the following:
● An immediate reinstatement of Wheaton HS wrestling for the 2022-2023 season;
● An immediate review of employment decisions impacting the Wheaton HS coaching
staff;
● MCPS support for any required appeals processes with MPSSAA;
● Issuance of a public apology to the wrestlers and coaching staff for unjustifiably
assigning collective blame;
● An independent investigation of the administration’s own behavior, with the results
made public and appropriate penalties applied; and,
● Future decisions regarding the staffing of coaches must be made solely with the best
interest of wrestlers in mind. Hiring decisions made with punitive intent and/or with
the administrators’ interests in mind will not be accepted.
We look forward to your response and action on this issue. A PDF version of this email is
attached.
