As Robison awaits arbitration, details involving settlement offer raises questions

An arbitration hearing on Friday will ultimately decide whether embattled former Vandebilt quarterback and current Hahnville High School senior Andrew Robison will be able to play in a 2018 football season that’s quickly coming to its end.

But a settlement offer made by attorneys on behalf of the quarterback to the LHSAA in late-September could cast doubts about the statements previously made by the family surrounding the case.

The Times received a copy of an email sent by LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine to member principals on Oct. 5, 2018.

In the emailed letter, which you can view by CLICKING HERE, the association gives principals an update on the case, while detailing the most recent proposal attorneys had made to the association in an attempt to settle the case.

In the proposal, the LHSAA says that, if accepted:

1. The student-athlete would be immediately eligible at Hahnville High School.

2. Drew Robison (father) will be suspended from coaching in Louisiana indefinitely.

3. The Robison family will give a public apology acknowledging

a) falsification of LHSAA documentation

b) fabrication of public claims made against the LHSAA and Vandebilt Catholic

In the email, LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine said he presented the proposal to the LHSAA Executive Committee, but on Sept. 28, 2018, the motion was made and seconded to stay the course with arbitration — a process which will continue on Friday when the quarterback gets a final ruling regarding his eligibility.

The association had previously ruled that recruiting violations had taken place during the family’s move from Vandebilt to Hahnville, which led to the ruling of a suspension on the night before the jamboree — a decision which started a legal battle that has been highly publicized throughout the state and even around the country.

The Times is not aware of who sent the email to our offices. But we have confirmed it is a copy of an email sent by Bonine to principals on Oct. 5. More than a half-dozen principals around the state confirmed to The Times that they received the letter, verifying that it was accurate word-for-word with what we have received.

At the bottom of the email, Bonine stresses to principals that the LHSAA rule book was being enforced and that the association and its Executive Committee were in full compliance in its decision to make Robison ineligible for the 2018-19 athletic year. He then asked principals not to comment on the case because of active litigation.

FAMILY ACKNOWLEDGES SETTLEMENT ATTEMPT, DISPUTES THE TERMS PRESENTED BY BONINE

The Times spoke to Andrew Robison’s father, Drew, for a half-hour on Wednesday afternoon. We shared the letter we’d received before the interview so that he could respond to questions about the proposed settlement.

Robison confirms that there were talks of a settlement between he, his attorneys and the LHSAA, but said the terms in the email were “never something we’d have agreed to.”

Robison was asked why his attorneys would make a proposal to the LHSAA that did not represent he or his family’s interests. He said he believes it was a miscommunication between his legal team, Hahnville’s legal team and the LHSAA, citing that there are lots of moving parts in this case and sometimes communication slips through the cracks.

“The things about a public apology and the falsifying documents are wrong,” Robison said. “We were not told about that being in there. We would not have agreed to that because at no time have we ever falsified documents or fabricated anything.”

Robison said in “his recollection” of the last settlement talks he’d heard from his lawyer, he’d have accepted a LHSAA suspension, but not an indefinite one, like listed in the email. Instead, he said he’d have accepted a penalty for one year.

When asked why he’d accept a punishment while also maintaining his innocence, Robison said he was being a father first.

“It was to get Andrew back on the field. I don’t care about me or my coaching future,” Robison said. “I’d be willing to sacrifice myself to let that happen.”

Robison said the entire process has been stressful to he and his family and he conceded that he and his wife, Colyer, could have done things differently in the process of transferring.

Drew Robison admitted that his wife inaccurately filled out paperwork on a transfer form, as previously reported in The Times. In it, the family incorrectly labeled Drew as a coach at Hahnville. The father told The Times that he was in discussion to be a freshman boys’ basketball coach at the time and the family thought the job would pan out, but never did.

Hahnville’s athletic department has said multiple times during the case that they were not in contact with Drew Robison about employment.

Robison said he did speak several times to Hahnville boys’ basketball coach Yussef Jasmine about working with the team. Efforts to reach Jasmine to verify that claim were not successful as of Wednesday afternoon. Robison said he’s never worked at a public school before and said he’s learning that the vetting process for hiring coaches and staff members are far different between the two.

Robison also verified to The Times that he did fill out a Terrebonne Parish Recreation form in mid-August on behalf of his son, Luke, in which he used the family’s Houma address on the form.

That form later became part of media reports, speculating whether the family had actually moved from Houma, which could have affected the case.

Robison, who has contended that his family has moved to Boutte since last spring, said the family sold its house in late-August and has since moved all of its things out. He said at the time of registration for TPR, he was still insured by the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and he “wasn’t thinking” about the family’s situation with the LHSAA when filling out the form.

“I wasn’t thinking at all about the move or about Andrew’s eligibility at that time,” Robison said. “For that to then come back on us as alleged proof that we didn’t make a bonafide move is preposterous.”

Robison said he’s “cautiously optimistic” about Friday’s arbitration hearing, citing that the family has won small victories outside of the LHSAA’s discretion.

He said he’s lost faith in the association and its principals in the process, stating that he believes this could have all been decided upon weeks ago.

“It’s been astounding to me at how the LHSAA has arrived at these decisions regarding Andrew,” Drew Robison said.

He said no matter what happens on Friday, his son’s lawsuit against the LHSAA and against Vandebilt Catholic High School will proceed.

Andrew Robison is seeking damages from both entities for the harm that was done to his career and future by keeping him off the field.

The father said he believes Andrew will have a chance to play college football regardless, but added his opportunities are now more limited than they would have been before.

“This isn’t about them saying, ‘OK, here’s a check,’” Robison said. “It’s more about justice for what’s been done. We’re seeking damages for irreparable harm to Andrew’s opportunities — time we can never get back.”

The family said that if they’re unsuccessful on Friday, there is “no hope” that Robison can play in 2018.

“This is absolutely, positively his last chance to play,” Robison said.

The lawsuit is expected to be heard in early 2020 or late 2019.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THE FAMILY WINS?

If the arbitration hearing goes the Robison’s way, the quarterback will be immediately eligible to play on Friday night.

But will he?

That still remains to be seen.

Drew Robison said that Andrew Robison has been practicing with Hahnville, but he conceded that there’s a difference between being in practice shape and in game shape.

“The last time I saw him compete was in 7-on-7 workouts in July,” Drew Robison said of his son. “And the last game he played was last season — almost a full year ago. I can’t imagine that he’s in ideal game shape. I’m a dad, but I’m a coach. As a coach, I’d be concerned with his conditioning and his communication with his teammates.”

Robison did not say whether the Tigers would turn their offense over to Robison without any reps, given that the team is fighting for its playoff lives.

But the dad said he believes in his son and thinks he’d make the best of the situation, citing the Tigers’ inability to stretch the field in the passing game so far this fall.

The Tigers are 3-5 this season and must win at least one of the final two games to reach the playoffs.

“They have Central Lafourche and they have H.L. Bourgeois,” Robison said. “Those are two good teams, but they aren’t the best teams on Hahnville’s schedule. I think it would be a chance for Andrew to get his timing back — almost like a live preseason scrimmage that he wasn’t able to have. … I’ll say this. If Andrew plays, this Hahnville team changes dramatically. … He’s so psyched to play.”

The Times spoke to Hahnville coach Nick Saltaformaggio in a radio interview last week and he echoed a lot of the father’s concerns about conditioning and reps. He said Robison has been part of Hahnville’s team throughout and has kept a good spirit, but added he didn’t know if the quarterback could return right away, if given the chance to.

Before the transfer/ineligibility fiasco, Andrew Robison had FCS offers from Nicholls and Northwestern State and Drew confirmed that Nicholls has communicated with the quarterback every week, adding that the family believes the offer is still firm.

The dad said he believes Andrew is a FBS-caliber player, but said he he has to go to a FCS school, he will prove himself and compete to the best of his ability.

“No matter what happens, Andrew will make the best of it — just like he’s done throughout this process,” Robison said.

Visit HoumaTimes.com on Friday for an update on the arbitration hearing.

Andrew Robison

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