District 9-3A D1 Committee Recommends Forfeitures, Suspensions For Palestine Westwood Amid Video Scandal

FAIRFIELD, Texas (KLTV) – A District 9-3A D1 committee is recommending Palestine Westwood’s head football coach be suspended and the team forfeit all district games because of a video scandal.

The Panthers and head coach Richard Bishop are accused of videotaping the opponent’s signals while scouting.

DEC Chairman Diboll Superintendent Brian Bowman confirmed that the committee recommended that Bishop be suspended for the remainder of the football season, and also recommended that a Westwood ISD employee be banned from all the athletic activities of the district.

The DEC also voted unanimously that Westwood forfeit all District 9-3A football games this season.

According to Bowman, the suspensions are recommendations and the State Executive Committee could overrule what the district recommended. Forfeiture of the games is established, but can also be appealed to the SEC.

The next scheduled State Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, but it is unknown whether or not the Westwood case will be on the agenda.

Westwood ISD Superintendent Wade Stanford said Westwood is “anxiously awaiting” the appeal process. Stanford said Friday would be business as usual and Westwood would play Teague.

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