N.Y. schools suing to overturn transfer rule

February 26, 2015 /
Nine private and charter schools in New York have filed a lawsuit to overturn a new transfer rule that was put in place by the state athletic association last fall.

Nine New York schools have filed suit over a new transfers rule. | Photo Randall Chancellor, Wikimedia Commons
Nine New York schools have filed suit over a new transfers rule. | Photo Randall Chancellor, Wikimedia Commons

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association in October approved a rule that made students ineligible to play sports for one year when they transfer schools without changing residency. The rule is meant to discourage recruiting.

From The Associated Press:

The nine (schools) said there have been no complaints about that in the last three years, and this is an attempt by the association to limit school choice and discourage parents and students from attending schools they feel are the best fit. They said it will affect thousands of athletes in grades seven through 12.

The association includes 783 public, parochial and private schools. The new rule is scheduled to start this fall with the 2015-2016 school year.

“This is no small or insignificant penalty for any student athlete of whatever skill level since extracurricular activities such as athletics play an important and integral role in the overall education and socialization of secondary school students,” the group said in court papers. It also hurts private and charter schools facing difficulties balancing budgets and maximizing enrollments, they said.

The new rule would eliminate waivers for transfers, which has increased over the last few years. According to the NYSPHSAA, transfers with academic waivers have grown from 132 in 2011-12 to 213 in 2013-14.


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