Yesterday, the Alabama High School Athletic Association ruled that student-athletes who transfer schools using funds provided by the state’s new CHOOSE Act will be required to sit out for a year.
Hours later, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth promised he would introduce legislation to strip the organization of its power.
Now, Governor Kay Ivey and Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) are seeking an injunction against the AHSAA.
Signed into law in 2024, the CHOOSE Act provides Alabama families with up to $7,000 in income tax credits that can be used to move a child into a private school or a home education program.
However, AHSAA bylaws state that students who transfer schools and receive financial aid must refrain from competing in sports during the year after their transfer. The organization considers the CHOOSE Act vouchers financial aid.
After several lawmakers accused the AHSAA of breaking the law, Ivey and Ledbetter stepped in on Thursday afternoon, filing a complaint against the organization in the circuit court of Montgomery County.
In a press release, they objected to the AHSAA’s decision, claiming it denies opportunities to Alabama’s students.
“We wrote and passed the CHOOSE Act to give every child a true choice in their education, and that very much includes participation in athletics,” said Ivey.
“I remain in strong opposition to the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s decision to sideline CHOOSE Act participants from competing in school sports and am committed to seeing all Alabama students have a fair chance on the playing field.”
Ledbetter noted that the CHOOSE Act contains a clause reading: “Nothing in this act shall affect or change the athletic eligibility of student athletes governed by the Alabama High School Athletic Association or similar association.”
“The AHSAA issued this ruling without consulting a single policymaker or even attempting to gain clarity on the intended interpretation of lines 162–165 in Act 2024-21, which clearly state the CHOOSE Act will not impact the eligibility of student-athletes,” said Ledbetter.
“For the AHSAA’s leadership to take such drastic action just as football season begins tells me they are not concerned with the best interests of all student-athletes.
“While I fully expect members of the House and Senate will take a hard look at how the AHSAA operates in the upcoming session, this situation demands action today. My hope is the court will side with our student-athletes and not allow this organization to wrongfully take away their opportunity to compete.”
The AHSAA has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
Charles Vaughan is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News.
