MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Parents at Freedom Preparatory Academy charter school want answers after the entire football program was shut down, just a year after receiving a $50,000 grant from the Tennessee Titans.
Wednesday, parents received a letter in an emergency meeting notifying them that the football program for middle and high school is now discontinued.
“Freedom Preparatory Academy (FPA) recently made the difficult decision to restructure its athletics program, which has led to the discontinuation of our football program for both middle and high school students,” a statement from Freedom Prep Academy read. “This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the concerns and disappointment that it has raised among our families. Our primary goal remains to support all of our student-athletes and provide diverse opportunities for them to excel both academically and athletically.”
One mother, who wanted to hide her identity to protect her middle school son, poured out her frustrations.
“To watch those grown men cry, teachers cry and see older boys cry, it broke my heart,” she said.
NewsNation affiliate WREG reported in April 2023 that the Tennessee Titans awarded the school a $50,000 grant directly for football. This included field upgrades, bleachers, lighting, and a scoreboard.
One year later, this mother says finances are the main reason for the shutdown.
“They called us to come in for a meeting saying that the football team would be closing because they were 100k in debt,” she said. “I would like for them to figure out where the funding went.”
In a statement sent Thursday, Freedom Prep Academy stated the program was not $100,000 in debt, adding, “The intent was to ensure the equitable distribution of resources across all programs—athletics, arts, and academics—and to ensure sustainability.”
Former coach Desmond King shared recent photos of the field with WREG. He says no improvements have been made.
“It’s more than just a game. These boys look forward to doing this,” King said. “A lot of these boys do not have father figures at home and these coaches become their mentors. Even for my son, he looks forward to going to school.”
Freedom Prep Academy confirms it has not completed the field upgrades and says that “no reimbursable funds have been received to date from the NFL Foundation.”
Parents say they will spend the summer weighing their options.