Governor Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter Seek Injunction Against Alabama High School Athletic Association

Governor Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter Seek Injunction Against Alabama High School Athletic Association
Governor Kay Ivey held a news conference to sign the CHOOSE Act, HB129, in the State Capitol Old House Chamber Thursday, March 7, 2024 in Montgomery, Ala. (Governor’s Office /Hal Yeager)

MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) are seeking an injunction against the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA).

This action comes after the AHSAA issued a ruling requiring student-athletes who transfer

to sit out for one year before competing in athletics solely because the student participates in the state’s new Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education Act (CHOOSE Act).

After extensive dialogue with state elected leaders, the AHSAA Board of Directors held an emergency meeting on Thursday, September 4, to consider reversing its ruling and restoring the eligibility of thousands of student-athletes utilizing the CHOOSE Act. Despite being provided clear proof that their rule violates state law, the board voted against doing so.

“We wrote and passed the CHOOSE Act to give every child a true choice in their education, and that very much includes participation in athletics,” said Governor Ivey.  “I remain in strong opposition to the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s decision to sideline CHOOSE Act participants from competing in school sports and am committed to seeing all Alabama students have a fair chance on the playing field. Speaker Ledbetter and I have jointly filed a lawsuit to reverse this wrong.”

“The AHSAA issued this ruling without consulting a single policymaker or even attempting to gain clarity on the intended interpretation of lines 162–165 in Act 2024-21, which clearly state the CHOOSE Act will not impact the eligibility of student-athletes,” said Speaker Ledbetter. “For the AHSAA’s leadership to take such drastic action just as football season begins tells me they are not concerned with the best interests of all student-athletes.

“While I fully expect members of the House and Senate will take a hard look at how the AHSAA operates in the upcoming session, this situation demands action today. My hope is the court will side with our student-athletes and not allow this organization to wrongfully take away their opportunity to compete.”

Alabama’s student-athletes, parents, and schools deserve fairness, clarity, and accountability from the organizations that govern school sports. Governor Ivey and Speaker Ledbetter are committed to ensuring the AHSAA follows the law and puts students first.

Legal filing attached.

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Provided by the Office of the Governor of Alabama | governor.alabama.gov