Green is a former human resources director of Botetourt County schools who was named principal at Northside in May.
Nicely’s letter to the VHSL referred to seven football players who transferred from Northside to Lord Botetourt during a two-year period.
Nicely’s letter to the VHSL also referred to a May 12 email he received from Greenway.
The school board member wrote that Harless admitted during a telephone conversation with Greenway in the fall 2019 that Harless “told one of the William Byrd football players that he should come and play for him.” But the Botetourt coach later said the statement was intended as a joke, Greenway wrote.
Harless, in the lawsuit, denied making that statement. The lawsuit also notes that six other Northside students transferred out of the school division to other high schools.
The lawsuit also alleges Newcomb made false statements following an investigation by the William Byrd principal after encounters between Harless and Byrd football players during and after an Oct. 11, 2019, football game between Botetourt and Byrd in Vinton.
The lawsuit claims that Newcomb falsely alleged in a letter provided to the VHSL by Nicely that Harless referred to two Black players at William Byrd as “thugs” and intentionally “used his position to bait two players who he knew had issues so that it would disrupt play and give him an advantage in play.”