Hayfield Secondary's athletic director resigns, team's playoff hopes end in controversy
Hayfield High School Athletic Director Monty Fritts has submitted his resignation, Fairfax County Public Schools announced Tuesday.
The decision follows allegations of improper recruiting tactics tied to Hayfield’s football program.
Fritts will remain in his position until Monday, December 2.
Monty Fritts, Hayfield Secondary athletic director. Photo credit via FCPS
FCPS has not yet announced whether an interim athletic director will step in while the search for a permanent replacement begins.
The resignation comes on the heels of a controversial decision to withdraw Hayfield’s football team from the Virginia Region 6C playoffs.
The team had advanced to the semifinals after a decisive 75-7 win over Edison High School last week. However, newly surfaced text messages allegedly show Fritts discussing questionable recruiting methods, including exploiting laws designed to protect homeless students.
Hayfield Principal Darin Thompson made the decision to pull the team from the playoffs. The move allowed Fairfax High School to advance automatically to the regional final, where they will face the winner of Tuesday’s game between Lake Braddock and West Springfield.
FCPS superintendent announces reviews in wake of Hayfield HS football controversy
In Virginia, the Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent announced multiple new reviews in the wake of the Hayfield High School football team controversy. That controversy escalated to court and as recently as Wednesday, saw other playoff coaches threatening to forfeit post-season games in protest.
In a previous letter to families, Superintendent Michelle Reid called the text messages "troubling" and said they prompted additional concerns in an ongoing investigation into Hayfield’s recruiting practices.
"Human resources staff and internal and external counsel reviewed this new evidence, investigated further, and finally concluded that they provided evidence of potential impropriety," Reid wrote.
FCPS has also announced plans for a comprehensive review of transfer and eligibility practices for student-athletes across all high schools and sports in the district.