Jordan Ex Rel. Jones v. Indiana High School Athletic Ass'n

813 F. Supp. 1372, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 879, 1993 WL 17848
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedJanuary 27, 1993
DocketF 92-295
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 813 F. Supp. 1372 (Jordan Ex Rel. Jones v. Indiana High School Athletic Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Jordan Ex Rel. Jones v. Indiana High School Athletic Ass'n, 813 F. Supp. 1372, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 879, 1993 WL 17848 (N.D. Ind. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER

WILLIAM C. LEE, District Judge.

This matter is before the court on the complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief filed by plaintiff Herman Jordan, by and through his next friend and parent, Doretha Jones. Jordan filed his cause of action in the Allen Superior Court on December 10, 1992. On December 15, 1992, defendant the Indiana High School Athletic Association (“IHSAA”) filed its petition for removal 1 to this court, and on December 21, 1992, the court held a preliminary conference. At that preliminary conference, the court permitted the parties the opportunity to conduct a further administrative review of the IHSAA decision regarding Jordan, which review was held on January 8, 1993. Jordan filed his “Brief on Jurisdiction” on January 6, 1993, and filed his trial brief on January 19, 1993. The IHSAA filed a trial brief, motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction, and supportive brief on January 19, 1993.

The court held a hearing on the matter on January 20, 1993, at which time the parties agreed to consolidate the trial on the merits with the motion for preliminary injunction. After hearing testimony and argument at that January 20,1993 hearing, the court took the matter under advisement. After having examined the entire record and after having determined the credibility of the witnesses, this court enters its Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law pursuant to Rule 52(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The court now issues its Memorandum of Decision and Order. For the following reasons, the permanent injunction is GRANTED; and IHSAA’s motion to dismiss is DENIED.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Through this action, Herman Jordan, a student at R. Nelson Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is seeking to enjoin the IHSAA from the continued implementation of an IHSAA decision which renders him ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletic competition on the Snider basketball team. Jordan’s complaint alleges that the IHSAA decision regarding his eligibility is arbitrary and capricious, and “operates as a denial of equal protection to Herman Jordan in violation of his rights under the Fourteenth Amendment to the *1375 Federal Constitution, and in violation of Article 1, Section 23 of the Indiana Constitution.”

Jordan attended Marshall Metro H.S. on Chicago’s south side for ninth grade in the 1988-1989 school year. He likewise attended the same school for the 1989-1990 school year. In the fall of 1990, Jordan registered at Marshall Metro for his third year of high school, but was absent from school on 64 days that semester. In the spring semester of 1991, Jordan only attended school 15 days. As a result of his truancy, Jordan was withdrawn from enrollment at Marshall Metro in April, 1991. He received no credits for the 1990-1991 school year. At Marshall Metro, Jordan’s academic performance was very poor 2 and he was on his way to whatever bleak prospects confront high school drop-outs in our high-tech world. Jordan did not participate in interscholastic athletics at Marshall Metro, and in fact, under Illinois rules, due to his poor academic performance, Jordan would not have been eligible to participate in athletics at Marshall Metro.

At the invitation of a cousin who teaches at a Fort Wayne elementary school, Jordan moved to Fort Wayne, where he attended Snider as an eleventh grade student for the 1991-1992 school year. 3 Jordan’s attendance and grades improved substantially after his move to Fort Wayne. According to Snider Principal, Dennis McClurg, Jordan “is an excellent example in the school”, who is “academically doing a complete turn around from his prior record.” 4 Jordan has earned average or better than average grades since his enrollment at Snider.

Jordan was a member of the 1991-1992 Snider basketball team, earning recognition as an all-conference player. Jordan wished to play on Snider’s basketball team for the current school year, but due to IHSAA Rule 12 (the so-called “eight semester rule”), Snider Principal, Dennis McClurg, sought an IHSAA ruling on Jordan’s eligibility. Despite McClurg’s pleading on Jordan’s behalf, the IHSAA determined Jordan was ineligible for both 1992-1993 semesters, and that no waiver of the eligibility rule or change in the rule would be granted. The Executive Committee of the IHSAA denied Jordan’s request for relief from that decision after a hearing on January 8, 1993. At this point in the school year, the Indiana high school basketball season is well underway.

Ms. Jones testified that she does not have the financial means to provide a college education for her son. Jordan’s coach at Snider, Jim Rousseau, testified that Jordan has had a few “inquiries” from college basketball coaches, but as yet, has received no scholarship offers. Rousseau added that if Jordan is able to complete the remainder of the basketball season, due to Jordan’s athletic skills, he will receive a college scholarship.

*1376 CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

Jordan attacks the IHSAA’s eligibility-decision on three grounds: First, as an equal protection violation under the United States Constitution; second, as a similar violation under the Indiana Constitution; and third, as an “arbitrary and capricious” decision in violation of state law regarding voluntary associations. The IHSAA argues that on each of the three prongs of Jordan’s attack, the court has no jurisdiction. The court will address the IHSAA’s arguments regarding jurisdiction in turn, as the court addresses each of the three arguments which Jordan advances.

State Constitutional Claim

Jordan asserts that the IHSAA decision violates Art. I, § 23 of the Indiana Constitution. The IHSAA argues that Art. I, § 23 does not apply to the IHSAA, and therefore, its decisions are not judicially reviewable when challenged on the basis of that particular section of the state Constitution.

In 1972 the Indiana Supreme Court held that the IHSAA decisions are judicially reviewable under Art. I, § 23. Haas v. South Bend Comm. School Corp., 259 Ind. 515, 289 N.E.2d 495, 497 (1972). In Haas, the court specifically held that one of its previous cases “should be overruled insofar as it holds that the actions of the IHSAA are not judicially reviewable.” Id., 289 N.E.2d at 497. In asserting that this court has no jurisdiction to review the IHSAA’s decision regarding Jordan’s eligibility, the IHSAA essentially asks this court to determine that the Haas decision is in error. The ability of courts to review IHSAA decisions is no longer a matter of serious debate in the Indiana courts. Since Haas, IHSAA decisions have often been reviewed in the courts of Indiana; in fact, the court’s research has revealed that several cases involving such review by the Indiana appellate courts have been published. As recently as two months ago, the Indiana Court of Appeals reaffirmed the

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813 F. Supp. 1372, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 879, 1993 WL 17848, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jordan-ex-rel-jones-v-indiana-high-school-athletic-assn-innd-1993.