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SATURDAY OCTOBER 8 2016
COLUMBUS COUNCIL
Councilor denies
giving city manager
directive for raises
While Judy Thomas did say
handle it, the preceding
conversations, reported in the
official minutes of the executive
session, do mention Hugley
bringing back a proposal for
suggested increases.
From left, Central Freshman Academy football coach Larry Knox, Central freshman Sean Campbell, Brookstone freshman MJ Scott, and
Brookstone School junior varsity football coach Hunter Chapman pose for a photo Friday morning at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City.
CENTRAL FOOTBALL
Autistic player scores
touchdown the week
after being bullied
Escorted by teammates and
cheered by even his opponents,
this 14-year-old autistic boy ran
unimpeded 65 yards for the
score a week after he was
bullied.
BY MARK RICE
mrice@ledger-enquirer.com
A
n autistic 14-year-old
football player who was
bullied the previous
week scored the first
touchdown of his life. And per-
haps everyone who witnessed
the emotional scene went home
feeling like a winner.
During the game Monday
night at Garrett-Harrison Stadi-
um in Phenix City, Central
Freshman Academy cornerback
Sean Campbell stripped the ball
from compassionate and coop-
erative Brookstone School fresh-
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$1 LEDGER-ENQUIRER.COM
BY MIKE OWEN
mowen@ledger-enquirer.com
In an Aug. 9 Columbus Coun-
cil executive session, during a
discussion of possible executive
salary increases, at least one
councilor told City Manager
Isaiah Hugley, I want you to
handle it.
But Councilor Judy Thomas
man running back MJ Scott, who
might have been the first player
in history not connected to gam-
blers to voluntarily fumble.
Escorted by teammates and
cheered by even his opponents,
Sean ran 65 yards for the score.
It felt good, Sean said.
Also making him feel good
was getting to pose for a photo
with some cheerleaders after his
touchdown.
Its really cool, he said.
THEY HAVE HIS BACK
Seans mother, Tameka
Campbell, said a boy at school
started slap boxing her son
and shoved him down a few
times while another boy re-
corded video of the incident.
Neither of the bullies is on the
football team, she said.
Campbell is grateful for the
caring way the Central family
dealt with the bullying.
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said she did not intend her di-
rective to mean for Hugley to go
and give the raises, and certain-
ly not as many as were given.
As one of the councilors who
said handle it or do it, I can
tell you what I was talking about
was looking at the three direc-
tors that we had been discuss-
ing, Thomas said. It did not
include any of the other direc-
tors.
VIDEO
Watch Sean Campbell score a touchdown
with some help from his friends in a video
at ledger-enquirer.com
The administration took care
of it immediately, she said,
adding that the punishment
wasnt disclosed, and the foot-
ball team came to his defense
and told him they have his
back.
Central coach Larry Knox had
been trying to find a way to
reward Sean for his hard work.
He doesnt miss a practice,
Knox said. He always gives 110
percent. Hes always encourag-
ing other players and coaches.
Hes always there for us, and we
wanted him to know we are
there for him.
After the bullying incident,
Knox figured he had the appro-
priate moment; he just needed
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Thomas also said she expect-
ed Hugley to return to council
with a proposal of how the rais-
es would be implemented, not
with a list of raises that had
already been
given.
He has always
come back to us,
particularly on
something of this
Thomas
degree, Thomas
said. When I
said handle it, I
meant to figure it
FAITH
out, figure out how he was going
to do it and then come back to
FULLER WRITES
us with that. DEVOTIONALS
Mayor Teresa Tomlinson,
who presided over the session,
Michelle Hanna Fuller
said she could understand Tho- started on Facebook and
mas interpretation of the now shes authored a
events, but she defended Hu-
gleys interpretation. There book of devotional
were many more names than messages. 1C
just the three most prominent in
SEE RAISES, 5A
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DEPLOYS
West Central Task Force
heads to Perry, Ga., to
prepare to help Hurricane
Matthew victims. 3A
MIKE HASKEY mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com
the appropriate opponent.
Knoxs sister, Carol Rogers,
happens to be the bookkeeper at
Brookstone, which was next on BUSINESS
Centrals scheduled. She told
him that Brookstone junior
BIG ATLANTA JOB
varsity coach Hunter Chapman
is an outstanding man and no
doubt would love to partici-
pate, Knox recalled.
FAIR SET OCT. 19
More than 500 jobs from
It was just Gods timing,
putting the pieces together,
Knox said. It was the right
40 companies are up for
grabs at Atlanta airport
game, the right time, the right job fair. 6B
moment, the right everything.
After exchanging emails, the
coaches agreed on a secret plan.
They divulged it to only the
games officials, who approved
the untimed and unofficial play.
The final piece was ensuring
Seans parents would attend the
game. They usually do, but
Knox didnt want to leave it to
chance or spoil the surprise.
I kept hinting that they really
need to be there, he said.
SO FIRED UP
With its first possession of the
final quarter, Brookstone was LOCAL
about to turn over the ball on
downs, but the referee allowed
this unusual timeout. Thats
MUSCOGEE CO.
when Knox and Chapman hud-
dled with their teams and
SCHOOLS OPEN
shared the secret. COLUMBUS DAY
You could see their eyes get Find out whats closed
real big, Knox said of his Red
and open on Monday. 3A
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