Report: Arthur’s grades investigated

By J-W Staff And Wire Reports     Oct 10, 2008

Nick Krug
Kansas forward Darrell Arthur rejects a shot by North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough in the first half of the Jayhawks' Final Four victory over the Tar Heels in April at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The Dallas Independent School District has re-opened an investigation into alleged improper grade changes for former Kansas University basketball player Darrell Arthur at South Oak Cliff High School, Dallas TV station WFAA reported Thursday.

School superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he will ask for an outside independent review of the academic records of Arthur and his former teammates.

“I am going to reopen the investigation to have a legal review, an independent legal review,” Hinojosa told WFAA reporter Brett Shipp.

“There are too many questions at this time for us to just leave it alone,” Hinojosa added. “That’s why we are going to ask for an outside independent review, legal review.”

An investigation into a grade change for another athlete resulted in South Oak Cliff forfeiting the 2006 state basketball title. The school district, however, released a report two months ago that cleared South Oak Cliff staff and students of any further wrongdoing in the 2005 and 2007 state basketball championships.

WFAA-TV’s follow-up found investigators may have failed to interview witnesses and review algebra, English and theater-arts grades received by Arthur.

“We don’t know anything about it, so we have no comment,” KU associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said Thursday night after WFAA released its latest findings.

Arthur, who now plays for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, did not respond to ESPN.com’s requests for comment.

Last May, grade transcripts obtained by WFAA showed Arthur with missing algebra grades on his working transcript, and his final algebra grade allegedly changed to passing.

The TV station’s review of the Dallas Independent School District’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) report that dismissed any allegations involving Arthur revealed possible major omissions, the TV station says. WFAA says Winford Ashmore, the math teacher WFAA interviewed in the first story on alleged grade changing for Arthur, was never interviewed by DISD.

Instead of checking out Ashmore’s concerns, WFAA says investigators dismissed them by saying Arthur “did not compete as a varsity player that year,” a statement WFAA says is incorrect.

The station has said an examination of Arthur’s grades revealed he should have failed an English course needed to graduate. South Oak Cliff coach James Mays has said the station’s reporting Arthur’s class grades in its reports has left the station subject to a lawsuit.

NCAA officials have told WFAA that if Arthur never officially graduated, his eligibility at Kansas is something that may have to be looked into. KU officials have repeatedly said they have no knowledge of specifics of the situation and have deemed it a matter for the DISD.

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