By Shane Lantz Seattle Times
The Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) laid out major penalties and fines against Roosevelt High School, head coach and former Seattle Seahawks player Sam Adams and the Seattle Public Schools athletic office this week, as a result of the WIAA’s investigation into allegations that the Roosevelt football program recruited players in recent seasons.
The independent investigation found Roosevelt, Adams – the former Spokane Shock owner – and the coaching staff to be in violation of four of the WIAA’s rules regarding rule compliance and illegal recruiting, and determined them to be level three violations, the most serious under WIAA bylaws.
The WIAA’s 13-member Executive Board then levied Roosevelt with severe sanctions based on the findings, starting with a one-year suspension and a maximum $2,500 fine for Adams.
Adams purchased the Spokane Shock in the fall of 2019 with intentions of relaunching the franchise in the 2020 Indoor Football League season – which was later shut down by the pandemic.
Adams served as Shock owner until 2022, when the league terminated the franchise after he failed to produce a $128,000 surety bond to secure the Spokane Arena for that season.
In addition to Adams, Roosevelt defensive coordinator Saul Patu, assistant coach Dominique Skeen and principal Tami Brewer were also each fined $2,500, along with athletic director Danny Thompson, who was also placed on probation for three years and banned from serving on any WIAA committee during that time.
“(The board) would say it’s very unfortunate they had to take this action,” WIAA executive director Mick Hoffman said Wednesday. “It was really disappointing for them to read what was found by the fact-finder to be blatant and willful violations related to recruiting … and enforcement of the handbook.”
Roosevelt is additionally required to forfeit all games in which ineligible players participated in the past two years, wiping out the Roughriders’ Class 3A state semifinal appearance this past season, where Roosevelt lost to Bellevue at Memorial Stadium, 29-13, on Nov. 30.
Roosevelt football is also banned from postseason competition for the 2025 season, and the athletic department is on probation for three years, starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
Seattle Public Schools executive director of athletics Pat McCarthy was also fined $2,500, and the Seattle Public Schools athletic department was fined that same amount and placed on probation for three years.
The Metro League athletic department was also given three years of probation.
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