COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Education released its investigative report regarding Bishop Sycamore High School, months after Governor Mike DeWine called for officials to look into allegations surrounding the school.
Back in September, Bishop Sycamore was featured in a nationally televised game against Florida's IMG Academy. After IMG Academy won 58-0, ESPN commentators admitted they couldn't verify that Bishop Sycamore's team roster possessed several Division 1 prospects as it had claimed.
In days after the game, more accusations about the school's legitimacy were made.
The investigation from the Ohio Department of Education found no evidence that students were enrolled at Bishop Sycamore for the 2021-22 academic year and no teachers were employed at the school. The report also states that there was no physical location for classes to meet.
The department provided a list of seven recommendations in the report for the governor to consider:
- Not to include Bishop Sycamore High School on the list of non-chartered, non-tax supported schools for the 2021-22 school year
- Consult with the Attorney General regarding potential legal action against Bishop Sycamore High School
- Require non-chartered, non-tax supported schools to submit a copy of their annual report, as required by OAC 3301-35-08, to the Department by July 31 (instead of September 30). In moving up the deadline, the Department would have an opportunity to try to address suspected issues of noncompliance before the first day of school. Additionally, moving up the deadline helps parents in making decisions about their children’s education before school begins.
- Amend the Revised Code to authorize the Department to monitor and enforce non-chartered, non-tax supported school’s compliance with the minimum standards of OAC 3301-35-08 and require such schools to comply with the Department’s investigation and any corrective action required by the Department.
- Require the Department to publish a list of non-chartered, non-tax supported schools that registered with the Department by filing the report required by OAC 3301-35-08 and allow the Department to remove schools from the list for failure to comply with the minimum standards and relevant law. Requiring the Department to prepare and maintain such a list provides another measure of accountability and transparency, and the list can assure parents when evaluating schools and making decisions about their children’s education.
- For schools that have been removed from the list and seek to register in a future school, authorize the Department to verify the schools’ ability to comply with the minimum standards before registering.
You can read the full report from the Ohio Department of Education here.
DeWine said he plans to work with the department and lawmakers to implement the recommendations listed in the report.
“Ohio families should be able to count on the fact that our schools educate students and don’t exist in name only as a vehicle to play high school sports,” he said. “When an Ohio student goes to school, they deserve a quality education to prepare them for success in the future.”
The governor called on Ohio Attorney General Yost to determine whether Bishop Sycamore violated civil or criminal laws.
Yost's spokesperson issued a statement in response, saying:
“When the story first broke, the attorney general directed the charitable trust section to look into it, and that section found no authority to take action. With the Governor’s broader request, we are examining other sources for legal authority and will respond soon.“
We reached out several times to the founder of Bishop Sycamore for comment but did not hear back.