Father launches Austin Metcalf Foundation to teach youth conflict resolution
Nearly two months after a jury convicted 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco ISD track meet, Austin's father is launching a foundation in his son's name.
Jeff Metcalf said the end of the trial brought a measure of relief.
"Once this trial was over, it was huge for me," he said. "I could actually sleep more than an hour."
With the case behind him, Metcalf said he finally had time to consider how he wanted to honor his son. The result is the Austin Metcalf Foundation, which will focus on teaching young people impulse control, de-escalation, and conflict resolution.
"I think that many kids and even adults in today's world are not prepared to deal with conflicts or how to get out of a conflict," he said. "How to walk away. How to say no."
Metcalf has recruited Dr. Bruce Carter, who has spent decades working on youth conflict prevention, to help lead the organization.
"We have some similarities, and we have some differences, but at the end of the day, I have one cause, and that is to give these young people, whoever and wherever, every chance to live," Carter said. "Live freely and have a chance."
On Friday, Metcalf also addressed criticism over comments he made on social media after Anthony's conviction.
"That night I shouldn't have actually done that," he said. "I should've taken a day to decompress, but that trial was the hardest thing I've ever been through, and 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with stage four cancer. I was supposed to die. I said that that night, and I own it, and I admit it, and it was not my best moment. Can I do better? Yes. That's what I'm trying to teach."
As Anthony's legal team moves through the appeals process, hearings are scheduled next month on motions to remove the judge from post-conviction proceedings and to seek a new trial.
"I really don't give it much time," Metcalf said. "It doesn't deserve any of my energy. I don't have to be there, so whatever happens will happen. God's got me."
Metcalf said his focus now is ensuring his son's legacy lives on through the foundation.
