Atlanta school officials investigate alleged athletic fund misuse

ATLANTA — Atlanta school officials tell Channel 2 Action News the district is investigating money handled by the Mays High School athletic program.

APS did not provide any specifics about its investigation, but we know the football program at Mays has been divided by a bitter dispute between head coach Corey Jarvis, a part-time team manager named Brenda Lackey, and Shanrika McClain, a parent who heads the football booster club.

The investigation comes at a time when Jarvis has rejuvenated the school’s football program.

The Raiders finished second in the state in their classification in 2014 and made it to the second round of the playoffs last fall.

Avis Hornsby-Culpepper, the attorney for Jarvis and Lackey, emailed Channel 2 investigative reporter Richard Belcher: “Coach Jarvis and Mrs. Lackey are both fully and completely cooperating with the APS investigation and expect to be totally exonerated of any wrongdoing in this matter.”

Hornsby-Culpepper says the two are declining further comment because of the ongoing investigation.

Divisions over the football team are so intense that Jarvis and Lackey attempted to persuade a Fulton County judge to issue a restraining order against McClain in the fall, but the judge refused.

Brianna Williams, the attorney for McClain, declined any comment.

The athletics investigation is not the first such problem at Mays. District auditors identified five so-called “findings” or problems with the handling of local school funds last year.

Among the problems: Failure to deposit cash in a timely manner, failure to perform a second review of deposits and failure to have documents to support spending from school funds.

An examination of school financial records by Belcher showed that the football program brought in $101,141 from June 2013 to late 2015. Jarvis is listed as handling deposits totaling $86,149.

The financial ledger released to Channel 2 Action News after a request under the state open records law shows that Lackey was reimbursed $24,857 for purchasing meals for the football team.

The largest such reimbursement was a check for $5700 provided to Lackey last May. The ledger entry for that check says “Pre-game meal catering 2015-16.”

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There is nothing in the records Channel 2 reviewed to show whether Lackey or others in the Mays football program obtained comparative prices to comply with district purchasing regulations.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that purchases over $2,000 generally require competitive bids.

The statement from APS says, “Student activity funds are subject to Atlanta Public Schools' procurement regulations.”

Mays graduate Mike McGee told Belcher he doesn’t believe the Mays investigation warrants a story.

McGee arranged for us to meet with several other Mays graduates to discuss our story, but the group later backed out.

APS has not said when it expect to finish its investigation.

Cox Media Group