Investigation Closed, Grayson Football Star Cleared By GHSA

GRAYSON, GA — Former Grayson High running back Kurt Taylor didn't break any rules when he transferred to the school for the start of his senior year, then back to Newton High before he graduated.

That's the finding of an investigation by the Georgia High School Association. GHSA spokesman Steve Figueroa confirmed Thursday that "the investigation has concluded and no violations were found that would change the outcome of Grayson's season."

Taylor, who has signed to play with the University of Michigan, transferred to Grayson for his senior season last fall. After football season, he transferred back to Newton High School in Covington, where his family continued to own a home.

The Grayson Rams went 14-1 en route to winning the 7-A state championship last year.

The GHSA investigation was launched after a Fox 5 report that appeared to show Taylor always considered his family's house in Covington his home, even though his father had rented an apartment in Grayson.

The article included social media posts that showed Taylor at the Covington home when he supposedly lived in Grayson.

Taylor was one of five high-profile football players who transferred to perennial powerhouse Grayson in advance of the 2016 football season.

Under current state rules, student-athletes generally are eligible to compete immediately upon transferring schools, as long as they have made a "bona fide" move. If he legitimately lived at the apartment in Grayson, it's possible that no rules were violated even if his family still owned the Covington home.

Georgia lawmakers have proposed several different reforms to the system. They range from requiring a transferring student to sit out of athletics for one year to a complete state government takeover of the GHSA.

In the Fox 5 story, Sen. Bruce Thompson, a Republican from White, said Taylor and his family were "mocking the system."

"There’s a significant problem with that,” Thompson said to the station. "And there should be a penalty for that. I don’t know what that is, but there should be a penalty."

Photo via Shutterstock