Henrico student athlete denied request to play due to residency dispute

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Varina High School student athlete Darren Williams will remain off the football field after a judge denied his request to continue playing.

On Tuesday, Oct. 28, Williams’ attorney Charlotte Hodges and a lawyer for Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) argued whether school leaders violated Williams’ right to due process when they claimed he doesn’t live at his Varina residence full-time.

“He's a kid and I'm not going to say much, but it bothers me,” said Williams’ dad, Wayne. “I can't see how some people sleep at night, but you have to deal with it.”

The Varina High School senior — who plays football, track and baseball — previously attended Henrico High School but decided to leave after witnessing a stabbing involving a student on Dec. 4, 2024.

On Jan. 17, Williams’ parents filed a court order with the Henrico County Juvenile Court, granting his grandmother Laurette Turner, who lives in Varina, physical custody. The order also allowed Williams’ parents to remain in joint custody of their son while living in other areas of Henrico.

Williams finished his junior year at Henrico High School so he wouldn’t lose the college-level credits that he was dual-enrolled in. He officially transferred to Varina in May and played three football games to start the season.

On Sept. 18, the school district sent a letter saying it had investigated and found discrepancies with Williams’ residency — putting his football, track and baseball dreams in jeopardy.

Williams also received a letter from the district showing HCPS allowed Williams to stay at Varina for his senior year and gave him an opportunity to transfer back to Henrico High but his family argued the reasons he transferred still stand.

“This is a young man who should be spending his senior year playing football, enjoying school,” Hodges said.

In the eligibility hearing, Hodges said school leaders never conducted a fair and full investigation. She said leaders only made eight surveillance visits to see if Williams lived with his grandmother and claimed school leaders didn’t see him half of those days.

Hodges said HCPS never followed up with interviews or home visits to see if Williams lived in Varina.

She also argued that more surveillance should have been done before making a final determination.

She added that the timeline of when Williams wasn’t in his grandmother’s house, because of a heater issue and illness compared to when the investigation started, were off.

The HCPS lawyer said both instances happened in August before the school conducted their investigation in September, while Hodges said documents show they occurred during the time of surveillance.

Hodges also felt it was strange that anyone can call an anonymous tip to say a student is not a resident in the school district, and an extensive investigation is begun on that alone.

The Henrico County Circuit Court judge felt they had given proper due process based on what was presented to him on Tuesday.

He stated due process protects students’ rights to attend school for education. However, fourth circuit court is clear that extracurricular activities, including sports, can’t be considered.

In terms of surveillance, the judge felt eight days were fine and the appeal hearing was part of the investigation that gave Hodges a chance to be heard.

The judge also noted if Williams knew when district leaders were watching him, he could have potentially tried to fool school leaders.

Regarding the anonymous tip, the judge said the school must act on those complaints, adding that if he’s ineligible and were to play, then games could be forfeited and jeopardize other players on the team.

Williams declined to comment on the ruling.

While his football season is likely over, Hodges said they’ll be seeking a full hearing to provide all the information they have to salvage his baseball and track seasons.