FARRAGUT, Tenn. — The Tennessee Comptroller released two reports on Friday that involved Farragut High School's baseball coaches and band.
The first report was focused on the Farragut Dugout Club, a school support organization for the school's baseball team led by parents and volunteers. Investigators began looking into the club after they said Knox County Schools reported questionable transactions using the club's funds.
It investigated records between July 2022 and July 2024. The report showed officers wrote 15 checks to the high school's baseball coaches, totaling $3,550. It said the checks were bonuses or "thank you" gifts to the coaches, and were written at the end of the 2023 and 2024 school years for successful baseball seasons.
Administrators with the school district said they did not approve the payments and were not aware of them. The TSSAA and KCS policy bars payments to coaches except by the school system.
The report also said officers with the Farragut Dugout Club used funds to buy "questionable gifts" for coaches and themselves, totaling almost $500. Those gifts included a $100 gift card, cigars, a bottle of wine and a gold necklace.
The report said the club's officers did not safeguard or maintain accurate records and failed to document some policies. It also said officers did not get two signatures on checks — a common practice required by the Model Financial Policy that requires checks using club funds to be approved by two officers.
It also said they held unapproved fundraisers including pancake breakfasts, golf tournaments and apparel sales because they failed to submit fundraiser approval forms.
The second report by the state Comptroller said KCS reported questionable transactions using funds for the Farragut High School Band. It said the investigation included records from between August 2022 and May 2024.
They showed that from March 2023 to May 2024, Farragut High School paid a total of around $44,000 to a vendor where the band director was employed. The money was used for band equipment, audio engineering and choreography services. It said the payments resulted in a possible conflict of interest.
"FHS made payments to the vendor for similar purchases and services prior to the vendor hiring the band director in March 2023. While the vendor and band director stated that the band director performed vendor services in another region and did not receive compensation for FHS purchases, investigators could not determine if the band director personally benefitted from FHS purchases and working both positions," the report said.
The report also said the high school failed to get three written quotes for payments to the vendor, which is required for purchases over $25,000.
The report also said the school paid $1,500 for a "questionable band meal" at a Nashville restaurant, feeding 11 students, three employees, a student teacher and two people not affiliated with the school.
Receipts in the report showed the band ate at the Old Hickory Steakhouse, spending around $1,376 on the meal and tipping around $123. The food included salmon, ribeyes and lobster bisque. The report said the meal was on top of a $100 gift card given to students to cover meal expenses and paid hotel room costs associated with All-State Band travel.
"FHS administration did not know the meal was for select FHS students and others until they requested an itemized receipt from the restaurant. Funds collected from student band fees and fundraisers should be restricted and only used for the benefit of the entire band and not select students, faculty, or individuals unaffiliated with FHS," the report said.
Knox County Schools released a statement about the Comptroller's Office reports. That statement is below.
"As soon as district officials became aware of these transactions, KCS reported to the Comptroller’s office, which initiated an investigation.
The district is prepared to take any necessary action that has not already been taken as a result of these findings."