Nease (Fla.) reprimanded, defensive coordinator suspended

The Nease Panthers (4-2), No. 35 in Massey’s Florida high school football rankings, will be without defensive coordinator Robert Garth for six weeks, according to a sanctions letter from the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to the school.

Rivals has obtained information from the FHSAA regarding the association handing down a $5,000 fine and 6-week ban to Garth stemming from illegal communication with a student-athlete via social media. Nease has been placed on administrative probation for one calendar year along with being levied a $2,500 fine.

Nease is appealing the FHSAA decision.

The Panthers are currently 4-2 on the season and are coming off a 27-7 loss to F. W. Buchholz last week.

Per the findings by the FHSAA, screenshots showed that Garth had reached out to a student-athlete who formerly attended Sandalwood via X, previously known as Twitter, regarding where the football player would be transferring to, which was in violation of FHSAA Policy 36.3.1 (General Regulation). The student-athlete responded to Garth initially that he was not sure, and he would weigh out his options after spring. The FHSAA also found the school to be in violation of Policy 36.3.2 (Specific Prohibitions) and 36.3.2.1.

Garth then proceeded to send his Snapchat profile to the athlete, with the latter saying he did not have a Snapchat handle. Around a month later, Garth circled back to the athlete regarding hearsay that the student had allegedly found a new school. That was when the allegation was sent over to Nease.

Per the FHSAA findings report, Garth provided a statement regarding the contact saying that he had reached out to the student-athlete about transferring to assist with college recruiting, claiming a parent had asked the coach to help the student out. The student-athlete’s mother provided a statement declaring that her son did not have any prior relationship with Garth and had never trained with the aforementioned coach or spoken to him ever about college recruiting.

Garth was best known for in his playing days in the AF2, formerly a developmental league for the Arena Football League (AFL), playing wide receiver and linebacker for the Green Bay Blizzard.

Below are the aforementioned FHSAA policies in their entirety:

Policy 36.3.1 General Regulation. No school employee, athletic department staff member, representative of the school’s athletic interests or third parties, such as an independent person, business, or organization, may make contact, either in person or through any form of written or electronic communication or through any third party, with a student, or any member of the student’s family, in an effort to pressure, urge or entice the student to attend a different school for the purpose of participating in interscholastic athletics. 

Policy 36.3.2 Specific Prohibitions. Specifically prohibited contact by school employees, athletic department staff members, representatives of the school’s athletic interests or third parties with a student includes, but is not limited to, the following: 

36.3.2.1 Sending, or arranging for anyone else to send, any form of written or electronic communication to the student or any member of his/her family, in an attempt to pressure, urge or entice the student to attend a different school to participate in interscholastic athletics.

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