Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth put out a call Thursday to the public to send him “experiences, critiques, and assessments of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, along with recommendations for needed changes and reforms in the governing body.”
Ainworth is compiling the input through his email at [email protected].
His action follows AHSAA’s recent decision to deny eligibility to CHOOSE Act students.
“The AHSAA’s decision to declare itself above the law is the symptom of a much bigger problem — a complete lack of accountability for its actions,” Ainsworth said in a release Thursday.
“It is obvious that we must look into reforming how high school athletics are governed and regulated in Alabama, so I invite the public to send me their thoughts, suggestions, and experiences as we put together a plan.”
“Despite the fact that state law specifically shields students from having their athletic eligibility stripped as a result of participating in Alabama’s CHOOSE Act school choice program, the AHSAA has chosen to ignore the statute and deny them participation, wrongly claiming the voucher system that simply allows taxpayer dollars to follow the child is a form of financial aid.
“The same Alabama High School Athletic Association responsible for making sure teams do not break the rules is BREAKING THE LAW by denying eligibility to CHOOSE Act students. I’ll offer legislation to strip AHSAA of its power and give it to an entity that will follow the law.”
Governor Kay Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) also filed a lawsuit against the AHSAA, and a Montgomery circuit judge has issued a stay pausing the eligibility denials.
The CHOOSE Act ruling was just the latest in a series of high-profile controversies surrounding the AHSAA, which operates with little to no oversight or accountability.
In 2022, the AHSAA generated national headlines by forcing Oakwood Adventist Academy in Huntsville, a school affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to forfeit a Saturday afternoon regional semifinal basketball game to Faith Christian School because students and coaches did not wish to violate their religious beliefs by playing on their Sabbath.
Postponing the game by just three hours would have allowed the Oakwood Academy team to play in the tournament without sacrificing religious practices.
In 2019, the AHSAA was again mired in national controversy when it denied the senior year eligibility of Charles Henderson High School standout basketball player Maori Davenport of Troy.
The AHSAA rescinded Davenport’s eligibility due to a clerical error involving her play with the Team USA basketball program, and the controversial decision prompted several influential sportswriters, television personalities, and professional athletes across the United States to speak out on the high school student’s behalf.
A Pike County circuit judge issued an emergency order restoring eligibility to Davenport, who was ranked as the 15th best women’s basketball recruit in the nation, after her family filed a lawsuit.
Jim Zig Zeigler is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News. His beat includes the positive and colorful about Alabama – her people, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former State Auditor and Public Service Commissioner. You can reach him at [email protected].
