Pell City (Ala.) High School superintendent James Martins says the state high school association's decision to declare one of its player ineligible is a "grievous error."
The AHSAA announced Saturday morning that Pell City will be forced to forfeit their only win over Center Point for a violation of the association's transfer rule. The school will also face a fine.
In a press release on Monday, Martin said the ruling was "plain wrong" and termed the decision "arbitrary and capricious." Pell City has vowed to appeal the ruling.
According to Alabama.com. Martin said the rule in question in this case states that if a student has been declared a ‘dependent of the state’ and placed by the Department of Human Resources,’ that student would meet the transfer rule requirement in the school zone he has been placed.
“We believe our student-athlete meets the spirit of that rule,” he said.
Martin said in the press release that the student-athlete in question has a custody oder whereby a juvenile judge found that athlete to be dependent as far back as 2018 and as recent as 2023.
Martin’s statement read in part:
“Although the Pell City School System desires to be compliant with the AHSAA’s rules, we also must demand that those rules be applied fairly and equitably. By requiring that a student-athlete’s only option to make a bonafide move is to be ordered into DHR care when a viable family resource is available seems not only short sighted but also inconsistent with the spirit of doing what is best for our children.”
“This family story, and the willingness of the student’s aunt and uncle to open their home to their nephew, should be praised and celebrated in this state,” Martin’s release stated. “Instead, the AHSAA has turned this story into a nightmare. Let’s be very clear of the consequences of AHSAA’s cruel interpretation of its transfer rule. In this case, the student athlete in question would be immediately eligible to participate in high school athletics if he was placed in the Pell City School System by DHR, but according to the AHSAA, he’s somehow ineligible because he was enrolled by his legal custodian, who is employed by the Pell City School System.”
Martin said the school system would appeal the ruling with the full support of the system, the city leaders and the community.
“We look forward to fighting for our student athlete and his family, and we hope the AHSAA will correct its grievous error,” Martin said.
