The father of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, the Texas high school student tragically stabbed to death at a track meet, is speaking out in frustration and heartbreak, accusing school officials of “rewarding” his son’s alleged killer by allowing him to graduate.
Austin was killed on April 2 at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, during a regional high school track and field championship. According to eyewitnesses, the altercation began when Austin confronted 18-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a student from another school, for sitting under Frisco Memorial High School’s team tent in the stands. The situation escalated, and Anthony is alleged to have pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed Austin in the chest, fatally wounding him.
Karmelo Anthony was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was released on bond on April 14 and is currently under house arrest with an ankle monitor as he awaits trial.
Now, Austin’s father, Jeffrey Metcalf, has filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), criticizing Centennial High School for allowing Anthony to receive his diploma despite being charged with murder.
“They are rewarding a murderer,” Metcalf reportedly told local media. “My son didn’t get to finish school. He didn’t even get a chance to go to prom, or graduate. And now they’re giving a diploma to the person who took that away.”
Dominque Alexander, a spokesperson for Anthony, confirmed that the school district agreed to allow Anthony to graduate early, though he will not be participating in the formal graduation ceremony or walk the stage with his classmates.
“They were literally trying to expel him,” Alexander said. “Now they’ve agreed to allow him to graduate, but it will be a private arrangement.”
The decision has sparked outrage, particularly from Austin’s family and supporters who see it as a profound injustice.
At a recent press conference held by Anthony’s family, tensions ran high as Jeffrey Metcalf was escorted out by police after confronting those in attendance. He later explained that he had hoped for an opportunity to bridge the pain with grace.
“They should have pulled me to the front and said, ‘We are so sorry. Our condolences.’ All I wanted to do was pray together. Show the world we’re united,” Metcalf told the New York Post. “Instead, they ignored us.”
Anthony’s legal team has claimed that the stabbing was an act of self-defense, alleging that Austin attacked first. But witnesses, including Austin’s twin brother Hunter, who was at the scene, dispute that account. “My brother told him to move, and he said, ‘Make me,’” Hunter recalled. “Then he just pulled out a knife and stabbed him. It happened so fast.”
The case has sent shockwaves through the Frisco community and beyond, prompting urgent conversations about violence in schools and what justice should look like when young lives are lost.
Austin’s family has vowed to keep fighting — not just for justice in court, but for change in the system that they believe failed to protect their son and is now enabling his alleged killer.
As the Metcalf family continues to grieve, they’re also demanding accountability — and dignity for Austin’s memory.
“Rest in peace, Austin,” Jeffrey Metcalf said. “My son deserved better.”