Oakwood Adventist Academy this past Saturday was forced to forfeit its Class 1A Boys’ Northeast Regional Basketball Semi-Finals game after the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) failed to grant the team a religious accommodation in scheduling.
Due to its game beginning prior to 5:31 p.m., which marks the end of the Sabbath for Adventists, Oakwood had reportedly made an agreement with its opponent and the teams scheduled to play in the 7:30 time slot to switch tipoff times. Doing so would have allowed Oakwood to complete its observance of the Sabbath.
Even though the participating teams agreed to the switch, AHSAA denied Oakwood’s request. The association in recent days has received public criticism over the move. The game’s forfeiture marked the end of Oakwood’s most successful season in school history.
Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that she had written a letter to AHSAA to express her “profound concern” over the situation.
In response to alleged treatment of the Oakwood Adventist Academy boys basketball team, I’ve sent a letter to the AHSAA to demand answers. I’ve also sent a letter to Oakwood to stand in solidarity with the team & to praise them for standing firm in their convictions. #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/MBvXLh2WUJ
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) February 22, 2022
Ivey asked AHSAA if the public reports surrounding the matter were true, and, if so, how the treatment was allowed to take place. The governor also inquired with the association if the public backlash it would receive was taken into consideration when the decision was made not to accommodate Oakwood. Among other questions, Ivey asked which AHSAA employees were involved in the decision-making process.
Additionally, Ivey penned a letter to Oakwood principal Judy Chiles-Dent to convey that she stood in “solidarity” with its boys’ basketball program.
“[P]lease convey to your team members and their coaches how proud I am of them for sticking to their beliefs,” wrote Ivey. “Their selfless display of sportsmanship in attending the playoff games at Jacksonville State University, despite their forced forfeit, to cheer on those teams that so graciously agreed to accommodate your team’s Sabbath observance, is an inspiring example to competitors and athletes everywhere. These young men, both on your team and the other affected teams, are worthy ambassadors for their schools and their communities.”
The governor invited the Oakwood boys’ basketball team to meet with her at the Alabama State Capitol.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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