JERSEY CITY AND BEYOND – A source familiar with alleged grade fixing at Lincoln High School on Crescent Avenue in Jersey City elaborated further on the situation in an e-mail to the Jersey City Reporter on Saturday.
The source, who wanted to remain anonymous due to his relationship to the school, said the alleged grade-fixing dates back at least two years and was done for members of the football team, and the girls and boys’ basketball teams.
The news comes after a story was first reported on the Hudson Reporter’s website this weekend about the removal of the school’s prinicpal, Jeannette Braswell, athletic director Artie Williams, and two other employees Friday afternoon, pending an investigation into the alleged changing of grades of Lincoln High School athletes to allow them to continue playing for their respective teams.
The source said the alleged grade-fixing was “kept under wraps” by the school’s administration due to the success of the football and basketball teams, since players with failing grades would not have been allowed to play. The Lincoln football team, coached by Robert Hampton, has gone to state playoff games the past three years. The boys’ basketball team, coached by Troy Smith, won a state title in 2008 and has made playoff appearances, while the girls’ team, coached by Tom Best, has had a winning record the past few years.
For more on this story, check www.hudsonreporter.com for updates. – Ricardo Kaulessar
UPDATE: Lincoln High School alleged grade-fixing for football, basketball was ‘kept under wraps’ for past two years
