COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has jumped into the wild high school football story involving Bishop Sycamore, calling for an investigation into the school by the Ohio Department of Education.
“I have asked the Ohio Department of Education to conduct an investigation into Bishop Sycamore to ensure compliance with Ohio law and to ensure the school is providing the educational opportunities Ohio students deserve,” DeWine stated on Tuesday afternoon.
The school claims to be based in Columbus, though there’s no physical address listed on its website. On Sunday, Bishop Sycamore lost to the second-ranked team in the country, IMG Academy of Florida, 58-0 in a game broadcast nationally by ESPN.
USA Today reported Tuesday that head coach Roy Johnson was fired after the game. Sports Illustrated reported that Johnson was investigated for fraud and he has an active bench warrant for failing to appear in a domestic violence case.
Bishop Sycamore was 0-6 last season, and reportedly also played a game on Friday night in Pennsylvania, where it also lost.
The school is not a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, and is being accused of having players long past their high school eligibility. It is also not listed as a charter school by the Ohio Department of Education.
“Like many Ohioans, I am concerned by the recent reports and questions raised about Bishop Sycamore,” DeWine said. “While this weekend’s football game brought concerns about the health and safety of players, it also raised red flags about the school’s operations.
“Schools like Bishop Sycamore have an obligation under Ohio law to meet certain minimum standards. Whether Bishop Sycamore meets these standards is not clear.”
Fox News reported on Friday, a Franklin County judge ruled Johnson and Jay Richardson, a former Ohio State Buckeye, and current Columbus prep sports TV personality, will go to trial for defaulting on a $100,000 loan issued in April 2018 never repaid to First Merchants Bank.
ESPN claims it was unaware of the background involving Bishop Sycamore and left the scheduling details of the matchup to Paragon.
Bishop Sycamore has been outscored 342-49 since starting its program in 2020. The school is scheduled to play several national prep powerhouses this year, including Duncanville (Texas), St. Edward (Ohio) and DeMatha Catholic (Maryland), according to the Columbus Dispatch.
