An independent investigation by a Seattle lawyer released Wednesday clears Federal Way High School and its boys basketball program of any wrongdoing in using an academically ineligible player during their run to the 2009 Class 4A state championship.

The investigation, which was conducted over nine days by Jeffrey Ganson at an estimated cost of nearly $11,000, was necessitated after current senior J.T. Koontz transferred from Federal Way to Decatur High School during the summer and Gator head coach Kevin Olson reviewed his transcripts. Olson found two failing grades during the second semester of the 2008-09 school year on Koontz’s transcripts, which would have been a violation of athletic eligibility rules set by the school district and the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The failing grades would have made Koontz ineligible during the Eagles’ run to the state title.

According to the investigation, Koontz’s two failing grades, which came in an English and geometry class, were changed at the beginning of the 2009-10 school year after Federal Way High School athletic director Miguel Perez spoke with the teachers involved in the situation.

“We have nothing to hide here,” said Eagle head coach Jerome Collins, who is entering his 26th year at the helm of the program. “It’s unfortunate and sometimes it bothers you. But I’m able to sleep at night because I know what we do here and the staff and district have become appreciative over the years. There are always going to be negative people for whatever reasons. It is what it is.”

In the Federal Way School District, student-athletes are not allowed to have a “D” in any classes to be academically eligible to play sports. It’s one of the highest grade-point average requirements in the state, according to Diane Turner, the district’s communications director.

“I have found no evidence of anything improper with respect to enforcement of the district’s eligibility policy, as to the student or any other student-athlete,” said Ganson, a lawyer with the Seattle law firm Dionne & Rorick, who served as independent investigator for the district. “Indeed, the only evidence I found is that all those involved closely followed, honored and enforced the eligibility policy.”

Mark Davidson, deputy superintendent for Federal Way schools, said it is clear that Koontz and school officials complied with the district’s athletic eligibility requirements.

“Our No. 1 priority is to ensure all students achieve their full academic potential,” Davidson said. “And our coaches, teachers and staff at Federal Way High School went above and beyond those requirements to ensure this student met our academic standards.”

During his investigation, Ganson interviewed several Federal Way High School staffers, including Principal Lisa Griebel, athletic secretary Dodie Conklin, data secretary Evelyn Hunley, Perez and Collins, along with the two teachers in question — math instructor Mark Cole and English teacher Pam Ashe.

Ganson also interviewed Decatur Principal Tom Leacy, athletic director Kelly Kirk and Olson. Ganson also noted in his six-page report that Koontz and his mother refused to be interviewed for his investigation. The pair, however, did talk to a Seattle Times reporter earlier this month.

Cole explained that Koontz had completed additional work shortly after the end of the first semester of the 2008-09 school year, according to Ganson. The work was sufficient to raise Koontz’s grade. Likewise, Ashe explained that she had an agreement with Koontz that if he completed a large assignment from the first semester, she would raise his grade, which she did.

According to Ganson’s report, all witnesses agreed that changing the semester grade requires the student to bring the teacher a grade-change form, which the teacher then files with Hunley.

“That is the case here,” Ganson wrote. “(The student) never brought the form to Mr. Cole or Ms. Ashe. However, when this issue arose at the beginning of the current school year, Mr. Collins reminded both teachers of their agreements with (the student). Neither teacher felt pressured by Mr. Collins, nor did they feel that Mr. Collins’ contact with them was inappropriate in any way.”

According to Ganson’s report, Hunley processes 300 to 500 grade changes per school year and this is not in any way limited to student-athletes.

Ganson went on to state that Collins is “genuinely and intensely concerned with athletes’ attendance, completion of assignments, conduct and overall educational progress.”

“They describe his concern not as one for athletic eligibility, but rather, as a genuine belief that academics are important and that discipline in this regard is necessary in order for students to succeed following high school,” Ganson wrote. “No one I spoke with characterized Mr. Collins as attempting to game the eligibility rules in any way.”

“We know what we do here,” Collins said. “What we do is in the best interest of the kids. It was a blow to have that stuff said, but the facts are what they are. This is obviously an indication of what we’ve been doing.”

The findings of Ganson’s investigation will be shared with a special committee of the South Puget Sound League athletic directors. Federal Way was given three business days from the time the report was completed by Ganson to share it with the SPSL committee, which could still ask for another investigation if they are not happy with Ganson’s findings.

Koontz was a rarely-used reserve player last year during the Eagles’ run to the state title. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged around two points a game and didn’t play during the state championship game win over Garfield inside the Tacoma Dome.