TSSAA lifts postseason ban from Westwood and Fairley boys basketball

Khari Thompson
Memphis Commercial Appeal

The TSSAA took the Westwood and Fairley boys basketball programs off restrictive probation on Thursday, making the teams eligible to compete in the postseason this season. 

The teams were punished for a fight last January that began in the postgame handshake line and ended with fans coming on to the floor. Since then, the schools have worked to demonstrate that there has been positive change. 

“I think they’ve done a good job to change the culture in their communities. Our recommendation to the board is to remove the restrictive probation for this year," TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said. "Keep them on probation and that just says we are watching in case something happens. We don’t anticipate that." 

The initial punishment was a two-year postseason ban and a $3,500 fine per school. 

“There is a thought that this is only an urban issue. It’s not. We’ve worked hard to be proactive and not reactive at our school," said Memphis Central principal Greg McCullough, who is the region's Board of Control representative. "There have been tremendous prices paid because of these (fights). I just hope that every area is being proactive. You can’t stop everything, but there are things you can put in place to help it from happening.”