WIAA lowers boom on Roosevelt High School (WA) football after investigation reveals sweeping recruiting violations

Year-long suspensions, postseason bans, game forfeitures and fines totaling $20,000 issued as penalties for wrongdoing within Roughriders' program

RENTON, Wash. - Based on findings from a state-ordered investigator into recruiting allegations surrounding the Roosevelt High School football program involving 18 players, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) leveled heavy-handed sanctions Sunday against the Seattle-based Metro League school.

Uncovered in a 45-page report filed by independent fact-finder Marilee Scarbrough, the former legal counsel for the Vancouver School District, were examples of program malfeasance deemed so intentional, the WIAA categorized them as worst-case Level 3 violations (25.5.6) - which brought on the most excessive suspensions, fines and forfeitures.

Scarbrough completed her investigation - interviews with more than 40 subjects and review of more than 1,000 pages of documents - on May 29, and submitted her report to the WIAA last Thursday.

The 13-person WIAA executive board approved the following action, effective immediately:

* Forfeiture of all Roosevelt games played in each of the past two seasons (2023, 2024), including playoff victories and state trophies. The Roughriders won eight games and reached the Class 3A semifinals, losing to Bellevue last fall.

* One-year postseason ban for Roosevelt football for upcoming 2025-26 season.

* Any Roosevelt football player who knowingly provided falsified information during his transfer period to the school is now ineligible for any WIAA sport in 2025-26.

* Three Roosevelt coaches were fined $2,500 apiece, and two of them - head coach Sam Adams, the former Super Bowl champion and Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman, and defensive coordinator Saul Patu, were suspended from all WIAA activities for one year (2025-26).

* The two biggest Roosevelt in-house administrative bosses - principal Tamara "Tami" Brewer and athletic director Danny Thompson - were fined $2,500 apiece. Thompson also received three years of probation and a three-year suspension from serving on any WIAA committee (he was previously slated to become the next District 2 representative for girls flag football).

* Pat McCarthy, the Seattle Public Schools executive director of athletics, was fined $2,500 and put on three years of probation.

* The Seattle Public Schools athletic department and the Metro League have each been fined $2,500 and placed on three years of probation, which can be reduced or rescinded next June if they show significant improvement in their policy-making structure.

* Roosevelt must now submit paperwork on every incoming student-athlete transfer to the WIAA District 2 eligibility committee.

When reached Wednesday morning, Adams declined comment on the WIAA rulings.

Meanwhile, WIAA executive director Mick Hoffman lauded the thoroughness of Scarbrough's report, which will soon be released to the public, and commended the WIAA executive board for its "thoughtful" decision-making and swift action taken against Roosevelt.

"This is not the stuff we like dealing with in high-school sports - but it has to be if we're going to maintain competitive equity and fairness as a member-driven association," Hoffman said.

In the 90 minutes of discussion leading up to the WIAA executive board's vote Sunday, members chided what they viewed as a wave of deceit, dishonesty and denial displayed by associates of Roosevelt football throughout the process.

"It was 18 months ... of 'Nothing to See Here' (messaging)," Bellevue district athletic director Jeff Lowell said.

How did we get here?

Last summer, three schools filed separate complaints to the WIAA last summer, alleging Roosevelt had recruited players from their rosters to transfer.

Officials at the alleged violating school were notified by WIAA staff to look into the matter and report their findings from a self-investigation to the league president.

After an internal review, Roosevelt filed a report of no wrongdoing within its football program, which was then approved at the Metro League and WIAA District 2 levels before it reached the board of six WIAA district directors - and ultimately the WIAA executive board.

After dialogue with school officials at the September meeting, that is when the WIAA executive board voted to assign an independent fact-finder to the case for further investigation, which took nearly nine months to complete.

All appeals of WIAA-issued rulings must be filed within 10 business days from the notification of violations and penalties.

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