Well, that was fun. MHSAA threw yours truly out of its building today when I tried to cover a hearing in the Andrew Brown suspension today.
MHSAA scheduled the hearing at 11:30 today after Tupelo High School freshman Andrew Brown appealed his suspension. MHSAA suspended Brown from participating in the 2023-2024 outdoor track season after he competed in the New Balance Nationals (Indoor) Track Championship in March.
The organization stated in a letter addressed to Tupelo High School:
On March 7, 2024, Tupelo High School self-reported that a student athlete participated in an indoor track meet after the season ended (February 3, 2024). It is our understanding in the MHSAA office that the student athlete ran in an indoor meet on March 12, 204 - violating rule 6.2.3, page 54, MHSAA handbook. This student athlete is considered ineligible to participate in track for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year.
Since Tupelo High School removed this student athlete from participating during track season, there will be no sanctions placed on Tupelo High School.
The rule states:
A student who is a member of a MHSAA school team shall not participate in any manner in any event in a meet or a contest as an unattached contestant against a high school team, a junior high school team, a collegiate team, a club team or other unattached individuals in that same sport. One individual shall constitute a team in indoor and outdoor track and field.
There is no indoor track season in Mississippi.
Young Brown appealed his suspension. He arrived at MHSAA's Clinton headquarters with his family and their attorney. An MHSAA representative (Appears to be CFO Lesley McLendon) told the lawyer he could not speak at the hearing although she graciously allowed him to take notes.
The woman promptly asked me who I was. I answered her question. She said the sign on the front door said the public was not allowed in the building today and told me to leave. She said even though the hearing involves public schools, MHSAA is a private organization and would not allow me in the building today.
Kingfish note: There is one remaining mystery in the case. Who filed the complaint about Brown with MHSAA? Section 4:1:1 of the MHSAA handbook states:
If a principal believes that a school has violated a MHSAA rule and wants the possible infraction investigated, he/she must submit a signed written complaint to the Executive Director stating the name of the school, the rule(s) that he/she believes it has violated, the name(s) of the coach(es) and/or student(s) involved in the alleged violation, and as much relevant, detailed information of which he/she has knowledge. The Executive Director shall have unlimited authority to investigate the case and impose a penalty. A school penalized under this code shall have the privilege to appeal to the Executive Committee.
So there is a written complaint on file, right? It might be interesting to see who submitted the complaint, right, Pearl?
31 comments:
MSHAA operates out of a union playbook. Very reminiscent of UAW shenanigans.
I know zero details, but . . . . if they self reported, there isn't necessarily a complaint.
Kf and WLBT teaming up will get "the rest of the story".
They self reported because they had no choice. Otherwise the season for the entire team would have been forfeited. My understanding is that there is an issue with consistency. This rule is routinely broken (willfully or not doesn't matter) and the MSHAA does nothing.
The rule came about several years ago to prevent student athletes from participating in club activities (club futbol, AAU b-ball, travel baseball) during specific sport seasons. Coaches complained and the MHSAA (aren’t they all coaches) acted. Can’t have the better athletes showcasing in non-MHSAA events (where college recruiter might see them perform against good competition) and reducing the all important gate.
Sounds like it's past time for a lawsuit.
How does a private organization govern public school athletics ?
I hope they gave you a good ole fist pumping growling "You're OUT!!!!" as they did so.
Not many people have bragging rights for being "86'd" by the MHSAA. A custom T-shirt and/or bumper sticker would seem appropriate.
Who the hell allows a private org to regulate public school sports anyway? Time for them to pack it up.
MHSAA is publicly funded, but they apparently do not want the public know how they are spending our money.
1:46 with the real question.
MHSAA stinks
MHSAA has been bumbling and stumbling for years. Their specialty is enforcing rules that hurt the athletes and their teams.
Kingfish
I suspect this has already occured to you -- but a letter from a principal acting in his capacity as such is definitely a public record.
a private organization telling a public school what it can or can't do?
i smell a dead rat or one in rapidly failing health.
this MHSAA has got to be some kind of racket to pull off a stunt like this.
there is a money trail somewhere in this pile of chicken manure, and when kingfish finds it , it will take him straight to what
brought all this about.
Kingfish, over the years, has proven himself really adept at insulting contributors to the blog, lashing out at them, calling them names, snapping harshly at them over nothing...Why didn't he just tell this uppity woman to kiss his royal ass?
She is no doubt some retired coach's wife and you know how entitled they assume themselves to be. For some reason I'm getting a mental picture of the women's basketball coach at LSU and King shrinking like a violet.
Organization is run by a bunch of coaches not fit to teach history.
MSHAA is run by a bunch of Karens who couldn't make it on an HOA.
MHSAA is a private organization so all the old retired coaches and ADs that go to work there can draw full PERS and still make a full salary. You know, like when the white public school coach retires on Friday and shows up for work on Monday at the private school across town.
McClendon was pretty rude to everyone there.
So at this "hearing" there is no right for counsel to present a defense, and the "hearing" is not open to the public.
As others have asked, how do they get to tell a public school what to do? Who do these people answer to?
This is what it looks like when a private organization exercises government power. You get people who don't know any better screwing with people's lives, with no oversight.
"The Executive Director shall have unlimited authority to investigate the case and impose a penalty. A school penalized under this code shall have the privilege to appeal to the Executive Committee."
So an appeal of an a penalty imposed by the Executive Director of MHSAA, who has "unlimited authority" to investigate and render judgment, is a privilege and not a right.
That would mean this guy has more power over public high school activities than a U.S. attorney, a federal district judge, and a U.S. Court of Appeals, combined. Got it.
They have become a little NCAA.
The other part of this becomes the track athletes national rating which does affect which colleges look at him or her in recruiting. Winning or placing or posting a good time in a National meet while in high school gets wider attention.
I suspect this is an effort to keep athletes in Mississippi when they could get a full ride elsewhere.
Kingfish's mistake was in not immediately (and forcefully) asking, "Do you people know who I am?"
What kind of appellate hearing does not allow one's attorney to speak on behalf of the appellant? Is the teenager (a minor) only allowed to speak on behalf of himself/herself when being interrogated by a kangaroo court of adults? Is anyone allowed to advocate on this minor's behalf? Are his parents allowed to speak? His coaches or a school representative?
Prediction: If the association does not grant the young athlete the relief he is seeking, this will end in litigation with the athlete prevailing, and with association and the idiots of the kangaroo court being exposed for the fools they are.
Question for Kingfish. It appears from reading this post and a previous post that an anonymous individual filed a complaint with the MHSAA. Then Tupelo found out about this complaint and had to then "self-report" in order to not have the entire team forfeit for the season. Is this the correct understanding of what happened?
"Kingfish's mistake was in not immediately (and forcefully) asking, "Do you people know who I am?""
And the answer would have been: "No, sir, but if you wait right there for a minute we'll try to find that out for you."
I'm here through the weekend - try the veal!
There is a Supreme Court case out of Brentwood Tennessee on the private/public issue.
I hope you can do some type of public records request then. I do not know if that is possible if they are a private organization. People need to organize around this and end this MHSAA garbage.
@10:28 AM said “What kind of appellate hearing does not allow one's attorney to speak on behalf of the appellant?”
About 12, maybe 15 years ago I reported a teacher at one of Mississippi’s community colleges appealing his termination during which hearing the teacher’s counsel was not allowed to speak on the record. The attorney whispered in the ear of his client, the teacher, what he, the attorney, intended to advocate.
True story.
Been a long time since then, so the upshot of the hearing is fuzzy in my mind now. Seems like the teacher didn’t regain his job but kept his retirement and wouldn’t get a bad reference, something like that.
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