GRCC investigating football program

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) -- Grand Rapids Community College is conducting "an internal investigation into concerns about the football program," a college spokesman told 24 Hour News 8 on Tuesday.

The statement came in response to a question about whether college coaches had entered into a deal to connect football players with housing.

GRCC communications director Raul Alvarez said he could not comment on those specifics "until that investigative process is complete," but reiterated that GRCC policy "does not allow for the college to pay for any student housing. That includes student athletes."

24 Hour News 8 was asking about the potential deal after a landlord said on Monday that he evicted dozens of GRCC football players. He said they did not pay tens of thousands of dollars in rent that was due in September.

Josh Beckett of Beckett Property Management said that coaches approached him earlier this year. They made a deal to house what was initially a total of roughly 70 people tied to the football program, he said.

The landlord said the coaches verbally assured him that rent would be paid in five months. But he said he did not sign a contract with the coaches or the school.

The leases were signed by students.

When payments came due in September, Beckett said only about 20% of the total amount owed was paid. He contacted the school to try to resolve the situation. When Beckett Property Management officially contacted the school about the issue, the GRCC investigation began, according to the college spokesman.

Beckett said 61 students were living in the apartments when the rent came due. Twenty-three were still living in the units on Monday when evictions occurred, he said.

A letter obtained by 24 Hour News 8 appears to show evidence of some arrangement between Beckett and a GRCC's director of football operations.

That letter, which appears to have been sent by the football director's office to players, references "what types of housing we can offer," "houses we have contracted through Beckett Properties" and "our houses through Beckett."

According to the letter, rent payments for the homes fall "within [the students'] financial aid budget, and should mean no out of pocket expenses on your end. Housing through Beckett is limited, and at the discretion of the coaching staff, so please let us know immediately if this situation is best for you."

The letter does include a list of non-Beckett "GRCC housing options," but contains only basic contact and pricing information. For Beckett properties, specific addresses and the number of players who could stay in each home are listed.

Alvarez, the GRCC communications director, said he could not comment about the letter.

The National Junior College Athletic Association bars non-scholarship programs (GRCC's program is filed as non-scholarship) from providing assistance for room and board, a spokesman said. "And therefore if a school were to venture into a process where they assisted in guaranteeing that housing or guaranteeing those individuals into a certain specific location, that could potentially be something that we would take a look at."

Some players told 24 Hour News 8 on Monday that they received loan disbursements but did not know they had to use that money for rent. But another player, Vonnie Jones, said on Tuesday that he did know he was responsible for his rent and coaches informed him. Jones said other players may not have known because they were new.

He also said players may have left Beckett apartments because the apartments are not well-maintained. His own apartment was without water for a period of time, he said. Jones said he, too, is being evicted, despite paying his rent.

"We paid," said Jones. "Me and my roommate paid in full they're still trying to move us. I'm just trying to make it out here."

Beckett said that the amount paid is only what was due in September -- and it's now December.

He said the original deal of allowing players to make two lump-sum payments is off since so few players paid. Eviction is a legal process, Beckett noted, under which he must prove that money is owed. Roughly a dozen students of the original 70 are fully paid up and are staying in Beckett properties, Beckett said.

One player's mother said that her son had to leave GRCC and return home to Ohio because he now has no place to live.

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