According to a report from Huntsville television WAFF's Charles Montgomery, Oakwood Adventist Academy has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA), citing First Amendment violations.
Earlier this year, the Oakwood Adventist Academy boy’s basketball team was forced to forfeit a 1A high school playoff game because of the team's religious observance of the Sabbath before sunset on the day of the playoff game and the AHSAA's unwillingness to accommodate game times to be switched.
The AHSAA's decision drew criticism from state lawmakers and Gov. Kay Ivey, who invited the team to visit her office in Montgomery.
See lawsuit below (courtesy WAFF):
The AHSAA has been under fire for the lack of transparency and the heavy-handed approach it has taken with member institutions of what critics have sometimes called selective enforcement of its rules.
In addition to the Oakwood Adventist Academy situation, the handling of the Maori Davenport eligibility saga in 2019, and more recently the declared ineligibility of Spanish Fort High School boys and girls soccer players, has lawmakers vowing to force the agency to change its approach.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com.
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