Brentwood Academy is a coeducational Christian independent college preparatory school located in Brentwood, Tennessee, for grades 6–12.
Contents
History
The charter of Brentwood Academy was signed on November 20, 1969, after ten acres of land on Granny White Pike was gifted by Tom P. Kennedy, Jr.
Brentwood Academy was among a wave of private schools formed in response the court ordered desegregation of public schools. Brentwood Academy's leaders claimed the school was established to provide a sound, Christian education in a safer environment, but the sociologist Jennifer Dyer has argued that the school's stated objectives were simply a "guise" for the school's actual objective of allowing white parents to avoid enrolling their children in racially integrated public schools. Despite the school's claim that it was not founded for the purpose of racial segregation, it did not enroll any Black students until 1974, and did not have a Black graduate until 1980.
Applications to Brentwood Academy increased in 1980 after court rulings expanded desegregation busing in Nashville. At the time, only four of Brentwood Academy's 360 students were black.
In 2001, Brentwood Academy was a party in the United States Supreme Court case Brentwood Academy v. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. The academy had sued the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association after the school was penalized for "undue influence" in recruiting football players, and the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. The court in this case held that a statewide association, incorporated to regulate interscholastic athletic competition among public and private schools, is regarded as engaging in state action when it enforces a rule against a member school.
In 2017, Brentwood Academy was accused of telling their staff not to report child abuse, including the rape of a 12-year-old child. The charges were later dismissed.
Notable people
Football
Tremayne Allen, football player
Kent Austin, Canadian Football League (CFL) player and coach
Derek Barnett, NFL defensive end for the Cleveland Browns
Woody Baron, football player
Kody Bliss, football player
Ryan Carrethers, football player
King Dunlap, former professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers
Camron Johnson, football player
Dawson Knox, tight end for Ole Miss and the Buffalo Bills.
Mike MacIntyre, football coach
Bubba Miller, football player
Jalen Ramsey, professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers
C. J. Sanders, football player
Barry Turner, football player
John Vaughn, football player
Scott Wells, retired professional football player
Other athletes
Andrew Bumbalough, middle and long distances in track runner
Blades Brown, golfer
Shannon Doepking, softball player and coach
Victoria Dunlap, basketball player
David Harrison, basketball player
Darius Garland, basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA
Bryce Jarvis, MLB relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Nicholas Nevid, swimmer
Jacob Stallings, MLB catcher for the Colorado Rockies
Brandan Wright, former NBA player for the Memphis Grizzlies
Musicians
Ashlyne Huff, singer-songwriter and dancer
Dann Huff, musician
Gordon Kennedy, musician
Holly Williams, recording artist
Faculty
Jason Mathews, football player and coach
Rhonda Blades, basketball player and coach
John Pierce, basketball player and coach
Hubie Smith, Tennessee High School Hall of Fame basketball coach
James Wilhoit, football player, coach