ATHLETES TURN TO THE COURT
Cross-country parents leading push to rescue playoffs during strike
The parents of 14 cross-country runners at Jones College Prep filed a complaint Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court against the IHSA and the Chicago Board of Education on behalf of all Chicago Public Schools athletes who have missed out on state playoffs as a result of the teachers strike.
The complaint, filed by attorney Kevin Sterling, claims that removing the athletes from the IHSA state competition is “in violation of the rights conferred on CPS studentathletes to participate in such competitions during the strike.”
“The adults need to find a way to let the kids play,” Simeon football player Ronald Haggins said. “Everyone across the city wants to play — it isn’t just one school. Everyone wants to try to win state.”
According to IHSA bylaws, once the “competition” of a state playoff has begun, any teams or players involved when district teachers strike are still allowed to compete. Teams are held out if the strike begins before the playoffs.
Thursday’s complaint makes the case that the cross-country competition began with the city championship meet Oct. 16, before the strike began Oct. 17, and that all the runners who participated in that meet and are registered for the state meet should be allowed to participate.
Sterling says he had a lengthy conversation with Craig Anderson, the executive director of the IHSA, on Wednesday.
“I told him there is enough latitude and grayness in the IHSA policy and guidelines that would allow them to come up with a flexible and creative solution to permit these athletes to compete,” Sterling said. “They aren’t doing that. They are politically trying to throw this at CPS and say it is their fault. I blame both of them. The kids are becoming collateral damage.”
Athletes from several sports rallied in support of the complaint outside court. A hearing on a temporary restraining order was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday.
“We are all frustrated at the prospect of having our seasons cut short,” Jones senior runner Ian Bacon said. “We’ve been working for this goal of running in the postseason since June. This fight is not just for us. It is for all of the future student athletes that may find themselves in this situation.”
Soccer, tennis and football teams around the city have been dealing with fallout from the strike all week. The Jones cross-country parents are the first group to seek a legal remedy.
“I just feel like they have better support,” Simeon quarterback Jacquez Woodland said. “A lot of people don’t really want to support a lot of black kids. Not to say it is a racial thing. But now that [the legal action] is happening, it is helping everyone.”
An IHSA spokesperson confirmed that the cross-country runners will be out of the state meet if the strike isn’t settled by late Friday or early Saturday morning. Most of the state regionals begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The last time the IHSA lost a major court battle was in 1995 against Mount Carmel. The IHSA responded by canceling the state wrestling tournament entirely.
“If that is the choice they make, I think that they need to re-evaluate,” Sterling said. “The IHSA is here for [the students], not to protect their jobs and their policies.”
Sterling said school coaches who aren’t in the teachers union could
“THE ADULTS NEED TO FIND A WAY TO LET THE KIDS PLAY. EVERYONE ACROSS THE CITY WANTS TO PLAY — IT ISN’T JUST ONE SCHOOL. EVERYONE WANTS TO TRY TO WIN STATE.” RONALD HAGGINS,
Simeon football player
step up and take over the teams. He also mentioned volunteer coaches from the suburbs, although the IHSA, which requires coaches to be certified, would likely have major liability concerns with that situation. Simeon’s football team doesn’t have any non-union coaches who are certified.
Anderson defended the IHSA in a statement Thursday afternoon.
“The IHSA has established a strike policy consistent with Illinois State Board of Education policies regarding student participation in school activities during a strike,” he said. “The IHSA staff has consistently enforced that policy.”