Legislature holds second hearing into NCHSAA
Members of the state legislature are holding a hearing into the NCHSAA, but no representatives from the association were invited to the meeting.
Web editor: Nick Stevens
5.21.2021
https://www.highschoolot.com/legislature-holds-second-hearing-into-nchsaa/19688095/https://www.highschoolot.com/state-superintendent-says-she-shares-concerns-about-nchsaa-senator-calls-for-legislation/19688109/RALEIGH, N.C. — The second meeting of the special legislative subcommittee charged with investigating the N.C. High School Athletic Association was held on Thursday afternoon, but there was a notable absence.
No representatives from the NCHSAA were invited to attend the meeting. Instead, lawmakers questioned State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, former Vice Chair of the State Board of Education Buddy Collins, and Chair of the Union County Board of Education Melissa Merrell.
The NCHSAA told HighSchoolOT that it has not had any direct communication with any of the people who attended the hearing on Thursday. However, during the hearing, Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Iredell) and Sen. Todd Johnson (R-Union) acknowledged prior meetings with Truitt and Collins leading up to the hearing Thursday.
Truitt, Collins, and Merrell each raised concerns about the NCHSAA's operations though.
"It seems as though, on a daily basis, I'm on fact-finding missions to get to the bottom of things and uncover the truth, and high school athletics is no different, and it's certainly something that's been on my radar since taking office in January," Truitt said in her opening comments to the committee.
Truitt became the state superintendent in January, but the NCHSAA said Thursday it has never had any communication with her.
In her comments to the committee, Truitt said the information the committee has uncovered is "very eye-opening and concerning" to her and Eric Davis, the Chair of the State Board of Education.
"It seems to us that the high school athletic association is flipped upside down from what its true purpose should be, which is supporting students," Truitt said.
Concerns Truitt has range from the amount of money the NCHSAA has, how money is spent, how preferred vendors are selected, and a perceived lack of oversight and transparency.
By Nick Stevens, HighSchoolOT managing editor
RALEIGH, N.C. — The second meeting of the special legislative subcommittee charged with investigating the N.C. High School Athletic Association was held on Thursday afternoon, but there was a notable absence.
No representatives from the NCHSAA were invited to attend the meeting. Instead, lawmakers questioned State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, former Vice Chair of the State Board of Education Buddy Collins, and Chair of the Union County Board of Education Melissa Merrell.
The NCHSAA told HighSchoolOT that it has not had any direct communication with any of the people who attended the hearing on Thursday. However, during the hearing, Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Iredell) and Sen. Todd Johnson (R-Union) acknowledged prior meetings with Truitt and Collins leading up to the hearing Thursday.
Truitt, Collins, and Merrell each raised concerns about the NCHSAA's operations though.
"It seems as though, on a daily basis, I'm on fact-finding missions to get to the bottom of things and uncover the truth, and high school athletics is no different, and it's certainly something that's been on my radar since taking office in January," Truitt said in her opening comments to the committee.
Truitt became the state superintendent in January, but the NCHSAA said Thursday it has never had any communication with her.
In her comments to the committee, Truitt said the information the committee has uncovered is "very eye-opening and concerning" to her and Eric Davis, the Chair of the State Board of Education.
"It seems to us that the high school athletic association is flipped upside down from what its true purpose should be, which is supporting students," Truitt said.
Concerns Truitt has range from the amount of money the NCHSAA has, how money is spent, how preferred vendors are selected, and a perceived lack of oversight and transparency.
Flapping flag Athletic directors are torn over NCHSAA investigation, largely oppose legislative changes
"All of these questions and others are answers I hope we get to the bottom of as this committee continues to do its work," she said.
In addition, Truitt said she is concerned about the lack of due process for students who are appealing decision by the NCHSAA, such as in cases of eligibility.
"If there were ever a time. for children to be given a hardship waiver, this would be the year," Truitt said.
However, despite concerns from numerous administrators and coaches, the state board of education opted not to adjust academic eligibility requirements for the spring semester, leading to many students becoming ineligible to participate in sports after struggling with remote learning in the fall semester.
HighSchoolOT conducted a survey of 265 NCHSAA athletic directors in February and found 71.3% of athletic directors had athletes deemed academically ineligible because of remote learning struggles. 43.4% of the athletic directors said they are "very concerned" about remote learning creating eligibility issues in the future, while another 44.5% said they were "somewhat concerned."
Collins also raised concerns about eligibility, citing a 19-year-old athlete in Davidson County who was diagnosed with cancer and was unable to compete in football. His parents held him back a year and hoped he would be able to play the following season. However, because the student turned 19 years old before a deadline, he is ineligible to participate based on age and the NCHSAA did not waive the rule, Collins said.
The NCHSAA is restricted in what eligibility rules it can waive due to hardships though. Athletes who turn 19 years old before a certain date are not eligible to participate in high school athletics based on state board of education policy that the NCHSAA does not have the authority to waive.
According to the NCHSAA, it has not had any contact with Collins about this issue. The association said its last contact with Collins was when he was on the State Board of Education and served on the NCHSAA Realignment Committee several years ago before Que Tucker became commissioner.
Merrell's concerns before the committee involved an athlete in Union County that was declared ineligible by the NCHSAA. She did not provide specific details, but said the school counselor and principal documented a hardship. The NCHSAA denied the appeals filed for the student though. Merrell believes the appeals process is unfair and does not provide due process for students, adding she thinks local boards of education should play a larger role when it comes to eligibility.
The NCHSAA's current appeals process involves three potential steps. The first appeal goes to the NCHSAA staff. If that appeal is denied, the school can then appeal to either the Executive Committee, the Hardship Committee, or the Transfer Committee, depending on the nature of the appeal. If the appeal is denied again, the school can appeal a final time to the full NCHSAA Board of Directors.
Merrell said she sent a letter to Tucker about the athlete in question and never received a response. However, the NCHSAA says Tucker was only copied on a letter that was sent to Davis and that the letter was not directed at Tucker, so she did not respond.
At the hearing, Truitt revealed that she is working with Davis on an internal investigation into the NCHSAA and the relationship it has with the state board of education. She said their goal is to work with the association to find solutions to concerns within the Department of Public Instruction that do not involve the state legislature.
"It's time to put solutions on the table that will put students and their families first when it comes to North Carolina high school athletics," Truitt said.
Near the end of the meeting, Sawyer told the other members of the committee that she believes it is time to move forward with legislation regarding the NCHSAA. Her office told HighSchoolOT after the meeting that she is "still working on what this would look like," and added, "When she has a clearer picture with input from necessary parties involved in the process, she will be able to speak on this more in-depth."
Sawyer said lawmakers have received "hundreds" of communications from coaches and athletic directors raising concerns about the NCHSAA, adding that they "fear retribution for speaking to us." A recent HighSchoolOT survey found that the plurality of athletic directors do not want the legislature to make changes to high school sports though. 45.3% of athletics directors said the legislature should not pass legislation to change high school sports.
Members of the committee said their investigation into the NCHSAA will continue, however no future meetings have been scheduled yet.