Hearing on Alleged Violations at Montclair Prep Rescheduled

The Southern Section has established the dates and site to hear the case against Montclair Prep, which has been investigated on charges of grade tampering and nonpayment of tuition by athletes in its football program.

The hearing, which will take place April 23-24 at Valley Christian High in Cerritos, will come nearly seven months after the Southern Section announced its investigation and amounts to a three-month postponement of the original hearing.

Previously, the Southern Section had set Jan. 14-15 as the hearing dates.

The delay has upset Montclair Prep Principal V. E. Simpson, who has waited impatiently for the hearing that he says will refute the allegations. Southern Section officials said the hearing was postponed to ensure fairness for both sides.

The section’s executive committee will evaluate the investigation, conducted by Commissioner Stan Thomas, in an open hearing and could reach a decision immediately. If found guilty, Montclair Prep could face severe penalties, including expulsion from the section.

The investigation came in the wake of the transfers of Derek and Leland Sparks, senior football players who left Montclair Prep in September for Mater Dei in Santa Ana. At an eligibility hearing in September, an uncle of the Sparks cousins claimed that Montclair Prep never charged tuition for his nephews and that school officials also changed their grades.