NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — Parents fear they are caught up in a school run by a scam artist in Newton County.
The parents sent their students to NewRock Prep Sports Academy in Covington to help them get back on track in the classroom and to give them a chance on the football field.
They said the school has been nothing but a nightmare.
“Everything he promised us is a lie,” parent Nicole Williams said.
Parents said they paid thousands of dollars in tuition and fees.
“And what do you think we’ve gotten for it? Nothing,” Williams said.
Williams sent her son to Covington from Michigan. She said the school first boarded the football team in a makeshift dorm inside a warehouse. After inspectors found the dorm didn’t meet code, the school put the kids in a hotel. The hotel confirmed the school’s check bounced.
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“A lot of parents were angry and mad,” Williams said.
Parents said over the last few weeks, the students have gone from hotel to hotel, sometimes paying for the rooms out of their own pockets.
According to the parents, the students have been playing football but have not received any education.
“They haven’t provided any school, any classes for him or tutoring for ACTs,” parent Elva Bell said.
Channel 2’s Justin Wilfon went to the school looking for the owner. The owner was not there, but Wilfon was able to reach Anthony Ivory on the phone. He admitted the school has faced financial trouble.
“We’re going through a situation where parents are not paying the tuition, which gives us the resources to take care of the kids,” Ivory said.
Parents said they paid their part and believe another problem is at hand.
“I believe Mr. Ivory is a scam. Yes, I do,” Williams said.
Ivory said the students have been enrolled in online courses, which he said was the plan all along. He believes he can keep the football program afloat.
Cox Media Group
