Bishop Montgomery Football Program Under Scrutiny: Questions Raised About Archdiocesan Oversight
Bishop Montgomery High school in Torrance has removed football coach and co-athletic director Ed Hodgkiss from his position, amidst a growing controversy surrounding player eligibility and program practices.The situation has prompted questions about oversight by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, given similar issues at another of its schools in recent years.
The Southern Section has declared five Bishop Montgomery transfer students ineligible due to violations of CIF bylaw 202, which includes providing false information. This, coupled with player suspensions stemming from an incident during a game in Hawaii – where players left the bench with 24 seconds remaining in a loss - and a subsequent forfeit to Mater Dei due to a lack of eligible players, has lead to significant disruption for the program.
The influx of transfers to Bishop Montgomery had been noted within the Southern California football community for months, with officials awaiting necessary paperwork for weeks.
This situation echoes a previous scandal at St. Bernard High School, also under the Archdiocese’s umbrella. In 2020, St.Bernard hired former Narbonne coach Manuel Douglas, who had been investigated and forced out of Narbonne following a nine-month LA Unified School District investigation. Narbonne was penalized with a playoff ban and a forfeit of its 2018 City title for using an ineligible player. Douglas later resigned from St. Bernard amid an FBI and IRS investigation regarding funds received from a Narbonne booster for a team trip to Hawaii. St. Bernard ultimately discontinued its football program in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
The Archdiocese of Los angeles acknowledged the ongoing investigation in a statement, saying, “The investigation is ongoing and there are no developments to share at this time. The school and the Department of Catholic Schools are in communication with the CIF Southern Section office as the investigation continues.”
Last spring, Bishop Montgomery’s principal, Michele Starkey, and school president Patrick Lee denied any knowledge of involvement by the same booster connected to the douglas situation at Narbonne when questioned by The Los Angeles Times.Concerns have been raised by those within the Bishop montgomery program. A parent wrote to The Times alleging that returning players were demoted or left the team, and that “Archdiocesan Catholic values appear secondary to short-term athletic exposure.” The parent also stated their June outreach to the school went unanswered.
Requests for comment from Hodgkiss and Lee were not returned. The situation highlights a pattern of issues within Archdiocesan schools and raises questions about preventative measures and oversight to ensure compliance with CIF regulations and adherence to Catholic values.
