KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The head coach, an assistant coach and a volunteer coach have been fired from the Lee’s Summit West High School football program following an investigation, the school told parents Monday.
The dismissals follow an internal investigation that revealed multiple students enrolled at Lee’s Summit West used fraudulent leases and utility bills to attend school despite not living within the boundaries.
“Recently, concerns were brought to the administration’s attention regarding potential violations of Missouri State High School Athletics Association bylaws,” Lee’s Summit West Principal Kayla Maid said in a letter to Titan Football families on Monday. “Following an internal review, we have identified residency violations involving several student-athletes who participated during the 2025 season.”
Maid said the district has shared its findings with Lee’s Summit police, noting that all the fraudulent documents appear connected to a single landlord.
A spokesperson for the Lee's Summit Police Department says investigators have opened a criminal investigation following the report.
The district also self-reported its findings with MSHSAA and plans to “fully cooperate with all expectations.”
KSHB 41 News obtained a copy of the self-report the school made to MSHSAA on April 14.
The report included the following summary description of the incident:
"An internal investigation confirmed that eight students enrolled at Lee's Summit West High School were using fraudulent leases and utility bills. Although families claimed they originally intended to secure housing, all admitted they never resided within LWS boundaries and failed to notify the school when those arrangements fell through. Seven of the students were linked to (REDACTED) through his youth football program; (REDACTED) reportedly connected these families with a single landlord to obtain the lease agreements. The investigation uncovered practices consistent with recruiting and undue influence, specifically determining that (REDACTED) and (REDACTED) met with a family at an area restaurant to discuss football and residency. It was also confirmed that one of the involved students participated in the varsity football program."
The report outlines the district received a tip on March 11, 2026, suggesting there was a residency issue with a student who transferred into the district during the summer of 2025. Over the next several days, the district launched its investigation, which included a review of fraudulent registration documents, leases and utility bills. By March 20, the district had completed residency checks and found the students were not living at the address of record.
On March 26, the district notified Lee's Summit police about a potential local leasing scam.
As the calendar turned into April, the district interviewed football program coaches and sent a 10-day letter to families of non-resident students.
By April 15, the district had completed discussions with the coaches in question, informing them they would be separated from the program.
Lee's Summit West will forfeit all varsity and freshmen wins from 2025.
“At Lee’s Summit West, we hold high expectations for all programs and staff. These expectations ensure a safe, fair, positive experience for every student-athlete," Principal Maid wrote. "As of today, Head Coach Willie Horn, assistant coach Bill Birmingham and volunteer coach Sean Thornton will no longer be a part of the football program."
The school said the head coaching position will be posted.
Maid also said the district is launching a review of expectations to “ensure a clear understanding of eligibility requirements and applicable bylaws among those involved in our programs.”
An MSHSAA spokesperson provided the following statement to KSHB 41 News reporter Fernanda Silva:
"Lee's Summit West and the Lee's Summit School District have maintained consistent communication with us throughout their thorough review process. As a member school, they have taken appropriate actions in accordance with their membership and our Association's by-laws."
We spoke to a coach outside of the program about high school football culture.
Jeff Gourley has been coaching high school football for four decades, and he is concerned that players might not be learning the right lessons.
“You've got to remember, this is an extension of the classroom,” he said. “This is education. This is something that helps young men grow up and learn how to succeed in life. And if we're telling them, 'Hey, you can move over here and play for this team and be successful,' what message are we sending?"
Gourley said he wasn’t surprised when he heard the news.
“What surprises me is that anybody has taken action against it to this degree,” he said. “Let’s try to get back to a place where sports are not just a ticket to the next level, but also a genuine learning opportunity.”
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