Haskell: ‘Corrective actions’ taken on athletics program

Haskell Indian Nations University issued a news release late Thursday saying the school “has taken several corrective actions to bring its Athletic Program into compliance with NAIA standards and to address issues raised in the U.S. Department of Education Inspector General’s investigation and report.”

The release comes a day after the Journal-World reported that all athletics programs at Haskell had been placed on probation by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or NAIA, through 2014, for “violations involving ineligible players.”

The news release, however, does not specify terms of the school’s probation, and an NAIA spokeswoman said they do not release such information.

The release, signed by Haskell President Chris Redman, mentions an investigation into Haskell athletics that found the school’s men’s basketball and football programs were in violation. The release does not specify what those violations were or which years the violations occurred. A previous news release by Haskell mentioned a federal investigation into falsified student-athlete ACT scores at the school and that employees were “disciplined for manipulation of three other student transcripts.”

Since May, Redman has scheduled, then canceled, several interviews with the Journal-World. The Journal-World has also filed numerous open records request with several federal agencies seeking the investigative reports mentioned by Haskell. So far, those requests have not been met.

According to the NAIA handbook, the use of ineligible students leads to the forfeiture of “all contests in which the ineligible student participated.” Athletes also lose at least one season of eligibility.

Institutions placed on probation also must submit a written response detailing the corrective measures they plan to take. Future violations can lead to the suspension of programs, a move that would bar them from postseason play, the handbook says.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.