Staff Report
The Boston Celtics made former North Carolina star Joseph Forte a professional basketball player when they selected the 6-foot-4 guard with the 21st pick of this year's NBA draft.
But Forte's departure didn't keep the NCAA from looking into rumors swirling around his mother's involvement with Octagon, the sports marketing agency he now employs.
Wanda Hightower, Forte's mother, was hired by Octagon in January 2000. The News & Observer reported in July that Hightower called then-UNC basketball coach Bill Guthridge in late 1999 while seeking a new job. Guthridge reportedly said he told Hightower that she needed to find a job on her own. She was soon hired by Octagon, whose chairman emeritus, A. Lee Fentress, has a history of representing former Tar Heels, the article stated.
Hightower is no longer employed by Octagon.
The NCAA prohibits institutions from giving special assistance to student athletes and their relatives. Upon reviewing the case, NCAA officials were convinced that UNC had not violated any rules.
The University conducted its own investigation prior to the NCAA's handling of the matter. Larry Gallo, UNC's senior associate athletics director who oversees NCAA compliance issues, announced on May 14 that the University was not concerned about rules violations.
