Did Southlake Carroll's quarterback move to Texas just to play football despite state rules prohibiting it?
Daxx Garman's status was the subject of a recent News 8 investigation and it will be up for appeal in Austin in a few days.
News 8 has obtained new information that again calls into question Garman's eligibility.
Two weeks ago, the University Interscholastic League's7-5A District Executive Committee voted 4-3 to strip Garman of his athletic eligibility.
The Committee determined that Garman violated the state rule prohibiting students from transferring to another school purely for athletic purposes.
The rules stipulate any relocation of residence should be a complete and permanent move for the family.
A News 8 Investigation exposed how the star quarterback had been declared ineligible to play football in his home state of Oklahoma in late January.
Four weeks later, the Garmans moved into arental home in Southlake. Yet News 8 discovered Garman'sfather still worked and was living in Oklahoma, and the family's home there wasnotlisted for sale until after News 8 began asking questions in August.
Yet Southlake Carroll officials insisted they had done everything possible to check out Garman's eligibility.
District Athletic Director Kevin Ozee said one of the determining factors in verifying the athlete's eligibility was verifying the home agreement to secure that home.
Ozee was making reference tothe residential lease agreement between the Garmans and their landlord. It's a one-year lease commencing on February 22 of this year.
But if Southlake Carroll fully vetted the lease, didit fail to see the clause on page 11?
It reads: In the event the Tenant's son, Daxx Garman, is not accepted in the Carroll ISD Football program, Tenant will have the option to cancel this Lease...
State UIL rules stipulate that a student who changes schools for athletic purposes is not eligible to compete...
One source tells News 8 the clause in the lease agreement contributed heavily to the vote to strip Garman of his eligibility two weeks ago.
But remember, the vote was split three committee members still voted in favor of Garman.
The three principals from all three Keller high schools ultimately felt the Garmans' move to Southlake was for legitimate, not athletic purposes.
Our requests to interview all three principals on camera were denied.
But one principal, David Hinson of Keller Central High School told us, I don't know if I saw the lease clause in question.
When we offered to show it him he said, I don't want to see it.
We put the same question toSouthlake Carroll officials. Did they see the clause on page 11?
If you are asking whether or not Carroll administrators read... absolutely every detail in every document... in our possession, the answer to that question is, no, said Julie Thannum, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing for Southlake Carroll ISD.
The Garman family has appealed their son's case to the UIL's State Executive Committee in Austin.The case will be heard next Tuesday.
The lease agreement clause will be presented as evidence.
E-mail bshipp@wfaa.com
