ATHENS, Ohio — Athens City School District Athletic Director Eric Sholtis is under fire from parents for negligence that resulted in an Athens High School girls’ volleyball player’s disqualification — and the team being stripped of its district championship title.
The starting player, who moved from West Virginia to Ohio in May and was open-enrolled into ACSD, was deemed ineligible to play because Sholtis failed to submit the proper transfer documents to the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Under OHSAA rules, the last 12 matches played with the ineligible player are forfeited. Subsequently, the Athens varsity girls volleyball team was stripped of its 2024 Tri-Valley Conference co-champion award, which it shared with Nelsonville-York.
Athens Superintendent Tom Gibbs appealed the decision to OHSAA and then to the Ohio Board of Education. Both appeals were denied.
On Nov. 15, Gibbs emailed volleyball parents about the failed appeals and noted, “Mr. Sholtis has taken full responsibility … for the error.”
However, parents dispute that assertion, and say that Sholtis has tried to blame the mistake on the player’s parents and varsity coach Hailee Hart for not sending him the proper paperwork.
In an extraordinary moment during the Nov. 21 Athens board of education meeting, Chelsea Stolz, the mother of a varsity starter, castigated Sholtis for his negligence, and noted that only Gibbs and Associate Superintendent Chad Springer had apologized to the team personally.
While Stoltz read her prepared statement, Sholtis sat less than 10 feet in front of her.
“He has never owned the mistake, I was absolutely enraged by his response to it,” said Stolz in an interview after the board meeting.
“The girls worked so hard and they’re all devastated. They think they can wash their hands of it now and move on. That’s not all the school board can do — what they can do is not renew this guy’s contract.”
The volleyball team was informed of the player’s ineligibility less than two hours before their district playoff match against Unioto on Oct. 14. Multiple parents say they found out when they arrived at the high school for the game. Athens went on to sweep Unioto, 3-0.
In a heated meeting with team members two days later on Oct. 16, Sholtis, Springer and Athens High School Principal April Stewart attempted to assuage team members.
In a recording of the meeting shared with the Independent, Sholtis continued to try to deflect responsibility for his mistake. Springer apologized, saying, “This is my district; I take responsibility.”
In a statement to the Independent sent on Nov. 25, Sholtis stated, “I am incredibly sorry to the members of the volleyball team. The processes we had in place did fail. There were multiple variables that led to this oversight, but the oversight is ultimately on me. While it was difficult to hear, I respect a parent’s right to speak up for their child. The events of this volleyball season and the statement from the board meeting serve as a reinforcement for me in the importance of continual growth and improvement.”
The volleyball team incident is among several instances involving Sholtis that have frustrated parents. Other complaints regarding Sholtis include:
- Repeatedly ignoring complaints of racist and homophobic attacks on members of both the boys and girls soccer teams. A boys player was subjected to abuse during games at Alexander in 2020 and 2022. When a parent brought up the abuse before playing Alexander in 2023, Sholtis allegedly told them that the boys team should “shut them up on the field.” (The boys soccer team has not lost to Alexander in four years.)
- Dismissing volleyball parent complaints after a match at Marietta, during which a member of the Marietta teaching staff called the Athens players “cunts.” Sholtis said the incident was reported to the school’s Title IX and Title VI coordinators, was fully investigated by Athens administrators, and results shared with Marietta administration. Parents maintain that Sholtis did not communicate what actions were taken. The Independent has requested copies of the Title IX and Title VI reports.
- Not attending high-profile events other than football, including the Nov. 2 state championship cross country meet, where AHS junior Sophia Szolosi captured the state title — the first in the school’s history. (A parent of an AHS athlete said they saw Sholtis at the Athens Country Club on the day of the meet.) In contrast, multiple parents and players told the Independent that Sholtis attends nearly every football practice, standing on the field, which two players said “was annoying.” Sholtis admitted he didn’t attend a cross country meet this year, but has in the past.
- Not arranging for a bus to take the 2023 AHS softball team to their district game and only approving a release time that gave the team only 45 minutes to get to the site. After the game, the team refused to let Sholtis give them their medals; then-Coach Roger Bissell had to take the medals from Sholtis to give to the girls. Sholtis said the softball coach did not request a bus.
- Lack of oversight of venue upgrades, including a new fence for the softball field that left a lighting pole exposed in the outfield; arranging for the new tennis courts to be painted on the AHS girls team’s Senior Night, forcing the team to walk up to the old courts to play their match after having the ceremony next to the new courts. Sholtis said the painting company missed deadlines, despite assurances that the courts would be ready.
- Unilaterally placing onerous restrictions regarding practices and games, including mandating that athletes ride the bus to and from events instead of riding with their parents. He also forced the Athens Middle School soccer teams to practice at the high school and share a field. (In the past, the teams and coaches would travel together to the fields behind the Athens Public Library, where each team had its own field.) After parents protested both edicts, Sholtis eventually reversed his decision.
Parents have also expressed lingering frustration at the district’s handling of star track athlete Bella Sutton, who was told to stay home from the state meet because she wanted to attend her high school graduation on the same day.
Parents say Sholtis won’t acknowledge female athletes at events, walking by the players and coaches without saying a word.
“He has made no effort to develop relationships with athletes and parents,” said Drew Banks, a father of a two-sport varsity athlete. “If he did, more parents and the larger community would be supportive and get involved.”
Some parents maintain the volleyball incident is symptomatic of a more significant issue: the administration’s overall lack of support for teachers and students both in school and outside the buildings. The fear of retribution is a legitimate concern for those wanting to speak out, but ultimately decide against it.
“There’s no one there to advocate for the kids,” said one parent, who requested anonymity to protect their student. “If Sholtis had taken ownership of his incompetence and just said ‘I’m sorry, I screwed up’ from the start, it still would have been awful, but there wouldn’t be this level of anger and frustration.”
Sholtis’ three-year contract with ACSD is up for renewal in spring 2025.
When contacted, Superintendent Gibbs said: “If I were to make a decision about a renewal today, I would recommend Mr. Sholtis for an additional contract.” Charity Wilhelm, president of the Athens City Schools Board of Education, did not respond to a request for comment.
The next Athens City Schools Board of Education meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19 at the district office, at 21 Birge Drive in Chauncey.
