Mater Dei Placed on Probation for Recruiting Violations : Southern Section’s Ruling Will Not Affect Participation in Athletics

The Southern Section’s Executive Committee has found Mater Dei High School guilty of recruiting violations but stopped short of sanctioning the school or penalizing coaches or athletes.

In a four-part ruling Thursday, the committee--after a hearing Wednesday in which Dennis Evans, Corona del Mar principal, accused Mater Dei coaches and administrators of using undue influence in recruiting three student-athletes--placed Mater Dei on probation for a year.

The probation does not restrict Mater Dei’s participation in regular-season or postseason athletic contests.

The committee said Mater Dei violated California Interscholastic Federation Rule 510 (Undue Influence) in the recruiting of Danny O’Neil and Warren and Weston Johnston before the start of the 1987-88 school term.

O’Neil transferred to Mater Dei in December after he led Corona del Mar’s freshman and sophomore football teams to 17-1 records in two seasons. The Johnstons have remained at Corona del Mar. All three play football and basketball, though none at the varsity level.

According to CIF bylaws, the use of undue influence to secure or retain students or parents or guardians as residents can result in the ineligibility of the student for a year. The school also can be penalized.

The four parts of the committee’s ruling:

- The entire athletic program will be put on probation for a year beginning Feb. 17, 1988, subject to a report by the Mater Dei principal to the Executive Committee at its meeting in February, 1989.

- The Mater Dei principal, Father John Weling, is to take action to ensure that athletic highlight films or similar materials are not distributed to prospective students or their parents.

- Weling is directed to take further action to ensure against preferential treatment of candidates for admission based upon athletic skills.

- The panel also recommended that John Merino, assistant principal, be removed from administration of any interscholastic athletic activities.

Merino, an administrator at Mater Dei for 24 years, told the committee Wednesday that he had arranged meetings with the three athletes, their parents and Mater Dei’s football coach, Chuck Gallo, and basketball coach, Gary McKnight.

Federation bylaws stipulate that before enrollment, all parental contact must be handled by school administration, not members of the coaching staff.

Merino also said he provided the Johnstons with highlight videotapes of the Monarch football and basketball teams.

Merino, who was relieved of his duties as athletic administrator on Feb. 1, is currently the school’s activities director.

Weling, who is in his first year as principal at Mater Dei, released a prepared statement that read in part: “Obviously, we are not pleased. It is our position that we did not violate the spirit or letter of the rules. We find it encouraging that the Executive Committee did not sanction our programs.”

Weling and his staff plan to meet with their attorney, Daniel Holden, today to determine the school’s response to the committee’s recommendations.

Evans, principal at Corona del Mar for 17 years, applauded the committee’s decision.

“I was pleased the committee found just cause to declare undue influence had been used by Mater Dei,” Evans said. “The fact Mater Dei was guilty should send a message to everyone.”

Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner, said the probationary period would involve scrutiny of Mater Dei’s athletic programs.

“Another violation and they (Mater Dei) would be dealt with harshly,” Thomas said. “The Executive Committee had serious concerns with an administrator (Merino) directing teachers (Gallo and McKnight) to do something they should not have done.

“It wasn’t their (Gallo and McKnight’s) fault for following orders from a superior. Merino’s testimony was the most damaging. The use of tapes was as serious as the fact that parents and kids were taken to the coaches.”

Merino testified that an opening in the sophomore class at Mater Dei was reserved for O’Neil until he completed his football season at Corona del Mar even though the class had been filled in September. Mater Dei’s criteria for acceptance includes a category of developed talents for students with skills in such areas as music, athletics, leadership and cheerleading.

Attorney Raymond Alvarado, who represented McKnight, said the most damaging evidence was the use of a videotape to entice athletes to Mater Dei and a $500 donation by O’Neil’s parents to Mater Dei’s athletic department while their son was attending Corona del Mar.

“But the bottom line was that Evans didn’t like the fact he lost his athlete to Mater Dei,” Alvarado said. “The CIF continues to go after successful programs, and let’s face it, good programs are attractive to parents and athletes.”