On Tuesday, the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) voted to change a rule that had required teams to play on Saturday – even when their faith belief is that the Sabbath is on Saturday and athletic competitions, like work and other pursuits, should be avoided on the day of rest. Gov. Kay Ivey applauded the decision as a win for religious liberty in Alabama.
Earlier this year, Governor Ivey hosted the Oakwood Adventist Academy boys basketball team in her office. The AHSAA has forced the team to forfeit their game in the Association’s semifinals because they would not set aside their religious beliefs and play the game as ordered.
“Today’s vote by the Alabama High School Athletic Association is absolutely a win for religious liberty, and no doubt, is a testament to the Oakwood boys and their convictions,” Gov. Ivey said in a statement. “I hope that Alabamians – young and old – can look to these boys as an example. They stood strong in their faith and showed that good can come from a difficult situation. Here in Alabama, we will always stand up for religious freedom, and this rule change is certainly doing just that.”
Gov. Ivey wrote a letter to AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs questioning the decision to require the team to forfeit their game or not observe their Sabbath. In their meeting, the team members told the governor they hoped their experience would force a change so that this would never happen again.
Seventh-Day Adventists, like Judaism and the Old Testament, hold that the seventh day – Saturday – is the Sabbath, not Sunday. Oakwood Academy is the oldest Black Seventh-Day Adventist school in the entire country.
Oakwood Adventist Academy is represented by the Becket religious liberty group. The rule change came in response to a lawsuit filed earlier this year, Oakwood Adventist Academy v. Alabama High School Athletic Association.
Becket said in a statement that Tuesday’s action by AHSAA will provide lasting protection for religious schools and their athletes and will serve as an example for other states.
“We applaud AHSAA for doing the right thing,” said Todd McFarland, associate general counsel for the General Conference for Seventh-day Adventists. “The new rule allows the Oakwood Mustangs to give their all both in their faith and in their sport.”
Consistent with the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s rule for religious accommodations, the new rule will guarantee that schools from minority faith traditions are not excluded from the playing field or pressured to abandon their beliefs for a shot at the big game. The First Amendment requires workable accommodations in state sports to allow participants of all faiths to compete on an equal basis.
“This new rule is a win for both the Mustangs and the First Amendment,” said Joseph Davis, counsel at Becket. “We hope that other state athletic associations will follow AHSAA’s lead so that no school or student will ever be excluded from participating on account of their faith.”
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