In re University Interscholastic League
Texas Supreme Court
20 S.W.3d 690 (2000)
- Written by Steven Pacht, JD
Facts
During the course of the interscholastic baseball season, the Texas University Interscholastic League (league) (defendant) determined that a Robstown High School player was and had been ineligible to play in the league. As a remedy, the league ruled that Robstown had to forfeit every game in which the ineligible player had played. Due to this ruling, Robstown was disqualified from its scheduled playoff game against Roma High School in the state baseball tournament. Certain parents of eligible Robstown players (parents) (plaintiffs) filed suit, arguing that this would violate their children’s constitutional rights and seeking to overturn the league’s decision. The trial court agreed with the parents, ordering the league to hold a playoff game between Robstown and Roma. When the league did not do so, the trial court held the league in contempt and declared Robstown the winner of the unplayed game against Roma. The league appealed, seeking a writ of mandamus requiring the trial court to vacate its orders. Per the league, the trial court abused its discretion because individual student athletes did not have a constitutional right to participate in extracurricular sports. The parents responded that the league abused its discretion because it did not apply section 27 of its constitution, which allowed the league’s state executive committee to not require a school that used an ineligible player to forfeit games if that player previously had been ruled eligible by a league district executive committee. The Texas Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of the challenged orders pending resolution of the mandamus petition.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Per curiam)
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