Montgomery County Circuit Judge J.R. Gaines ordered the State of Alabama and the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) on Friday to enter into mediation to try to resolve an ongoing lawsuit.
The AHSAA is currently being sued by Governor Kay Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) over their rule requiring transfer students using CHOOSE Act funds to sit out from athletics for a year. Gaines recently granted a temporary restraining order against the AHSAA, allowing affected CHOOSE Act students to participate in sports while the lawsuit proceeds.
Gaines also delayed until April a ruling on a motion to dismiss filed by attorneys for the AHSAA. Ivey and Ledbetter said in a statement on Friday, “Our mission is to simply let the kids play. We have been open to working with the AHSAA all along to ensure they do not unfairly and unlawfully discriminate against our CHOOSE Act student-athletes. Now is no different."
"With today’s court decision, the temporary restraining order remains in place, allowing our CHOOSE Act student-athletes to continue competing. We look forward to finding a permanent solution,” Ivey and Ledbetter said.
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