Belleville High School’s head football coach Jermain Crowell has been suspended by the Michigan High School Athletic Association for the rest of this season, all of next season, and will not be able to coach until the 2024 season.
On Nov. 14, Van Buren Public Schools Superintendent Pete Kudlak said the district is appealing the decision, but the district probably will not get a decision on that until after this season is over.
He said the school has no MHSSA sanctions based on the coach’s suspension.
Supt. Kudlak said Crowell’s suspension was based on the charge in The Detroit Free Press that he gave rides to Belleville to a Detroit student, now a senior, Jameel Croft, Jr., just before his freshman year. This would be a violation of MHSAA rules concerning recruitment.
Croft recently signed two statements saying that didn’t happen, Kudlak said.
Crowell denies all the allegations. He had been suspended by the school and the MHSSA during the investigation and has been unable to coach the team on the field for the past few games.
Kudlak said Crowell has been cheering the team from the stands as it tries for a second state championship.
Belleville High School is a school-of-choice school and has attracted several athletes who do not live in the Van Buren district.
In response to an Independent Freedom of Information Act request, the district said it had 65 members on its varsity football team in the 2021-22 school year and 60 in the present school year. The district denied the FOIA request to state how many of those were school of choice students who live in other districts, saying the district does not compile such information and such a record does not exist.
Kudlak said the district does not keep records on how many school of choice students it has and only looks into that on a case-by-case basis, when necessary.
He stated that Crowell bought a home in Van Buren Township and has been living there for the past two years. Kudlak said Crowell does not have any school of choice students living with him, contrary to some reports. Van Buren Township records show Crowell lives in Country Walk subdivision.
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3 Comments
Weather
This some str8 BS. THEY HATING
Always got to tear a man down to build him back up. There’s a Rocky quote in there…
In light of new information, you should issue a correction on this. Either you are reporting falsehoods, or our Superintendent lied to your reporter. Either way, our community deserves to know the truth. I actually think you were both correct at the time and the MHSAA is reversing course to cover their ass. That would make a great story, you should look into it.