On Friday, the Campbell County School Board held a special meeting and voted to sideline the stepsons of former NFL tight end and Brookville head coach Logan Thomas.
The meeting - which can be viewed on YouTube - saw a closed session that lasted over an hour and a half. After the conclusion of the closed session, board members returned and voted to approve the resolution, albeit while requesting their votes be recorded under duress in the meeting minutes.
“Basically, under legal guidance, we made a resolution and asked the principal to sideline the players,” Campbell County School Board Chairman Dr. Scott Miller said.
Dr. Miller told 10 News that the decision didn’t come lightly, and was made to protect the school and the rest of their athletes.
“The Virginia High School League is basically saying they’re ineligible and if we continue to play them there could be repercussions for Brookville High School next year and not let them play any sports,” Dr. Miller said. “We can’t take that chance.”
Repercussions could include an automatic one-year suspension for Brookville athletics.
School board members said during the meeting that, “as a school board, we have to consider the consequences of all the students of BHS and not just a few. We cannot put all the students of BHS at risk for this Draconian penalty.”
This all stems from Thomas’ legal battle with the Virginia High School League regarding the eligibility of his stepsons. On October 17, a judge upheld the VHSL’s decision to keep the boys ineligible.
Despite this decision, they would still play in a 52-8 victory over Liberty High School that same day.
Dr. Miller confirmed with WSLS 10 that, while the board did not officially make a decision that day as a collective unit, each board member individually gave their blessing.
One of the players is also a senior and desired to play on Homecoming night, reinforcing the decision to support the players.
“Individually each board member basically gave their blessings for the boys to play, feeling that they were eligible, feeling that with the process that was be going forward that they’d be found eligible," Dr. Miller said.
He also confirmed that Thomas’ stepsons were on the sideline for Friday’s 33-19 loss to Liberty Christian.
"They [Thomas’ stepsons] were at the game yesterday [Friday]. They were on the sideline. My understanding they were cheering on their team," Dr. Miller said. “I understand they were even out bringing water to the players. So it’s really a tribute to the character of those boys.”
Dr. Miller says that, while the board doesn’t agree with the VHSL’s decision regarding the eligibility issues, they will continue to comply with the VHSL while continuing to back Thomas and the Brookville athletes.
“We continue to support our student athletes, we continue to support our administrators, we will support the Logan Thomas family as they pursue this,” Dr. Miller said. "We still feel that his boys were eligible, but we are complying... with the Virginia High School League."
WSLS 10 has reached out to both the VHSL and Thomas’s attorney for comment, but has yet to hear back.