OSSAA abuses merit lawmakers’ response
By Jonathan Small
Oklahoma law allows “open transfer,” meaning any student in Oklahoma can attend any public school with room. But the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) too often prevents transfer students from playing sports, effectively undermining the open-transfer law. OSSAA board members, who are mostly school superintendents, often see “recruiting” whenever a competitor school might get transfers.
The OSSAA recently barred four teenage boys from playing basketball for Glencoe, alleging recruitment because the boys have long known new Glencoe basketball coach Garrett Schubert and his son, Maddox.
The OSSAA’s Board of Directors voted 12–0 to declare the four boys ineligible. The boys’ families filed a lawsuit on Aug. 14.
