Eleven players from Cleveland's Glenville High School football team are facing theft charges after Grove City police say they took more than $4,500 worth of merchandise from a Dick's Sporting Goods store while the team was in town for a road game. Officers were called to the store on Stringtown Road after employees reported that a large group of boys believed to be Glenville players had stolen merchandise, and photographs of the dressing rooms used by the players showed security tags, clothing tags and empty merchandise boxes left behind.
According to Cleveland.com, reporter Olivia Mitchell detailed how the Glenville coaching staff worked directly with investigators once a store employee flagged the theft on August 27. A Grove City Police report obtained by Spectrum News, as relayed by Ohio High School Football Media, clarifies that two of the accused players are 18-year-old adults who will face adult criminal proceedings, while the remaining nine are minors whose cases will move through juvenile court. That same report notes that initial estimates put 15 to 20 juveniles at the scene before investigators narrowed the group to 11 specific team members using store surveillance video.
How Police Identified the Players
The Glenville football team provided a roster to police, and the coaching staff helped officers identify players shown in the store's surveillance footage the day after the incident, on August 28. Officers reportedly found several Glenville players walking between the Drury Inn on Parkway Centre Drive and the surrounding area, and the identified players were interviewed at the hotel that same day. One player offered to pay for items he had taken, and some merchandise was returned to the store. Head coach Ted Ginn Sr., who also founded the all-boys Ginn Academy magnet school, turned over two bags of clothing and a pair of football cleats, per the police report cited by Cleveland.com's reporting.
Official Grove City Police records cited by Scioto Post calculated the total value of merchandise allegedly taken at $4,552.04, specifying that the haul included mouth guards, arm bands, clothing and football cleats. Store employees reported that the group entered the Stringtown Road location around 7:25 p.m. on August 27. A Grove City police report indicates all 11 players will be charged with theft, though the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office reported that formal charges had not been filed as of Tuesday afternoon, even though the office anticipated the charges would move forward.
What the Alleged Loss Total Means Legally
The dollar figure matters under Ohio law. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2913.02, theft of property valued between $1,000 and $7,500 is classified as a fifth-degree felony, carrying penalties of six to 12 months in prison and fines up to $2,500, according to the Law Offices of Brian J. Smith. Because the alleged loss exceeds the $1,000 threshold, the allegations against the two adult players cross from misdemeanor petty theft into felony territory, a distinction that would not apply if the total had fallen under $1,000. Ohio law also allows retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods to pursue civil claims separate from any criminal case: under Ohio Revised Code Section 2307.61, property owners who suffer retail theft can sue adult offenders or the parents of minor offenders for full damages plus liquidated damages of up to three times the value of the property.
Team Response and a Program Already on Probation
Despite the incident, Glenville played its scheduled game the following day, August 28, defeating Olentangy Liberty 34-13 in Powell, Ohio, according to Q92 Radio Sports. The roughly 80-player roster held a players-only meeting after the incident, though it remains unclear whether any players will face team suspensions or school disciplinary action. Glenville is scheduled to host Clarkson Football, a team from north of Ontario, Canada, at the Collinwood Athletic Complex on September 4.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District said it was aware of the allegations and that responsible players had not yet been identified at that point. The district said it expects its scholars to behave appropriately. Meanwhile, an OHSAA decision reported by Cleveland.com placed the Glenville football program on a one-year probation for the 2026-27 school year after coaches held padded practices before the state's authorized start date, adding another layer of administrative scrutiny as district and team officials weigh their response to the theft allegations.
Why the State Athletic Association Isn't Stepping In
Under OHSAA Bylaw 4-5-1, personal conduct matters occurring outside of athletic contests fall under the sole authority of the local school district, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. That rule explains why the state athletic association has not issued direct player suspensions, leaving any disciplinary decisions to Cleveland Metropolitan School District administrators rather than state regulators.
A Historic Program Built by Ted Ginn Sr.
The allegations land on one of Ohio's most storied high school football programs. Ted Ginn Sr. took over the Glenville program in 1997 and led the Tarblooders to become, in 2022, the first Cleveland Metropolitan School District team in state history to win an OHSAA football championship, per the National Federation of State High School Associations. Ginn Sr. was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in 2023 after accumulating more than 240 career wins and mentoring more than 20 future NFL players, and the team has won three of the past four Division IV state football championships. Glenville's roster draws from both Glenville High School and Ginn Academy, the all-boys CMSD magnet school Ginn Sr. founded in 2007, which does not sponsor its own athletic teams and instead sends its students to compete for Glenville under state eligibility rules described by the Sandusky Register.
That same reporting notes that Glenville's total enrollment has declined to roughly 300 students, down from around 1,500 in past decades, a stark contrast to the program's standing as one of the state's premier athletic powerhouses. Hoodline has previously reported on how Cleveland's school consolidations and enrollment formulas complicate Glenville's title hopes, and on the legal troubles of NFL alumnus Marshon Lattimore, a Glenville product now with the Washington Commanders.
