LANCASTER, Texas — It was an emotional Wednesday as two Lancaster High School Girls Basketball players appeared before the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) local District Executive Committee (DEC) in Mesquite.
To respect student privacy, WFAA is not including the students’ names in this article.
“It was frustrating because I do take basketball seriously," one of the athletes said. "It’s something I want to continue to do."
The hearing was to determine whether or not the two athletes transferred to Lancaster from Duncanville strictly for athletics, which is a violation of UIL regulations.
Both hearings began with witness statements from the players’ families.
The first athlete’s family said she moved in with her dad and transferred for financial reasons.
“Before her junior year of 2023, I began to experience some financial difficulties as well as securing a place for my daughter and I to live,” said the first athlete’s mother to the DEC. “We had to do some credit recovery just based on the fact that I wasn’t stable at that time.”
The second athlete’s family said her parents separated. Her father had been living in Lancaster since 2021 and her mother in Duncanville. She attended Legion Prep Academy, which was not represented at the hearing, before transferring to Duncanville.
The family said Legion Prep is a non-traditional school that allowed the athlete to attend and receive the necessary recovery rehab their daughter needed for an injury.
The hearings came after concerns circulated about the transfers and others. Duncanville ISD said there were a total of four transfers to Lancaster. However, Lancaster said one of those athletes transferred from their district as well.
“I did not coach all of those girls,” said LaJenna Howard, Lancaster’s new head coach.
She previously served as head coach for Duncanville but was suspended for breaking UIL rules for recruiting along with other violations. She said she took a year off to focus on UIL rules and regulations.
“I have learned from my mistake," Howard said. "I’ve done nothing illegal or nothing abnormal or that I wasn’t supposed to do. I’ve just been walking in a straight path and hoping that everybody gives me another chance."
When students transfer to multiple schools in a year, they submit what’s called a Previous Athletic Participation Form (PAPF) detailing the reasons. Both Duncanville and Lancaster signed off on those forms, leaving some to question why there was a hearing.
“I did not want to deal with this right here,” said one student’s parent.
At the time, Duncanville told the DEC there was no factual evidence to show the students transferred for athletics.
After the schools and families spoke, the DEC voted.
“By a vote of four to zero, the PAPF has been denied voting that you did change schools for athletic purposes. The student is ineligible to participate in varsity athletic contests for one year,” said Kody Groves, DEC Chair.
Both students are suspended for the remainder of the season. Lancaster did not comment after the hearing. Duncanville said, “The UIL has a process for reviewing athletic transfers, which can include a District Executive Committee (DEC) hearing. The process was followed, and a decision was made.”
The two athletes have the option to appeal the DEC’s decision. WFAA asked the DEC for comment immediately following the transfer hearing, but they denied comment at this time.
Last week, Faith Family Academy in Oak Cliff was found guilty of violations including failure to report known violations in a timely manner or withholding information and recruiting after several students transferred to the charter school.
In a statement, the UIL said, "The 5A District 13 Basketball DEC has referred a case involving the Oak Cliff Faith Family girls basketball program to the UIL State Executive Committee (SEC) for consideration of penalties related to violations of UIL Constitution & Contest Rules sections 51(a)(6), 51(a)(8), and 52(b) by school district personnel. A hearing with the SEC will be scheduled soon."