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PLEASANT VIEW, Weber County — Amid an ongoing investigation into the Weber High School principal and the school's football program, the district on Thursday fired Zac Connors, the team's offensive coordinator.
District spokesman Lane Findlay said the firing is "part of that bigger picture" related to the investigation. Connors, who was not a teacher or employee in the district, was what the district considers an "at-will employee," meaning they can be dismissed at any time.
This week, the district said Weber High School Principal Chris Earnest was placed on leave amid an investigation into allegations of inappropriate recruiting in the school's football program.
"At the conclusion of her investigation, Weber School District officials received complaints over how the investigation was handled by Ms. Earnest," according to a statement from the district. "To ensure that WSD policies and procedures were properly followed, district officials initiated a follow-up investigation. As standard procedure, Ms. Earnest was placed on paid administrative leave."
Sometime during Earnest's investigation into the recruiting, additional allegations of "unprofessional conduct and potential violations of district policies" were brought to the district's attention. The statement says the investigation is ongoing and that no further information is being released at this time.
"There were some concerns and questions whether or not that school-level investigation was conducted properly and if the appropriate action was taken that needed to happen," Findlay said.
The initial complaint, received before the start of the 2023-24 school year, alleged that one or more players had been recruited from the Davis School District by Weber High School assistant coaches.
It was determined that a coach at Weber High "exercised undue influence in the recruitment of players" and the case was referred to the Region 1 Board of Managers.
Findlay said that the football program is anticipating sanctions that have been recommended to the Utah High School Activities Association by the Region 1 Board of Managers.
Somewhere along the line, the eligibility of two players who had been recruited to Weber High School from the Davis School District was questioned by someone in the district.
"That can really be a complaint that comes from anyone," Findlay said. "Anyone could raise that question (of eligibility) and file a complaint."
Utah High School Activities Association counsel Mark VanWagoner said both student-athletes were found to be eligible by the association based on the paperwork they submitted prior to the start of the season, and they played in Weber's first game on Aug. 11.
"Weber made the claim that they had information pending to show that the applications made to the association were inaccurate," VanWagoner said.
Sometime after the first game, the players were deemed ineligible for varsity competition amid the district's investigation into the situation. Both student-athletes have missed the last two games, but VanWagoner said the association held a hearing Wednesday where a panel "decided unanimously that both students would be eligible and that both of their moves (to Weber High School) had been legitimate."
"This case is very different because Weber School District self-reported ... that they had played ineligible players because those players had not legitimately moved into Weber's boundaries," VanWagoner said. "Weber self-reported that they weren't, even though they had been cleared by the activities association."
The eligibility investigation, however, is related but still separate from the investigation that determined a coach at Weber High "exercised undue influence in the recruitment of players."
VanWagoner said a hearing among the executive committee of the activities association would have to be held before any sanctions would be imposed against Weber High — something that hasn't happened yet.
"We will await final review and a determination by UHSAA and then that will become official at that point," Findlay said.
Weber High School plays an away game against Wasatch High School at 7 p.m. Friday.
