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The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, in a court brief filed Thursday, opposes a preliminary injunction requested by the coach and parents of wrestlers on the Bishop McCort High School wrestling team who have been sanctioned by the PIAA for alleged violations of rules against the recruitment of athletes.
The PIAA's Board of Appeal, in a ruling last December, barred McCort's wrestling coach, William Bassett, from coaching the team for two years and is prohibiting the team's wrestlers from participating in postseason tournaments for two years.
The board has also placed the school's entire athletic program on probation through June 2024.
Bassett, who is the father of a wrestler on the team, has joined the parents of 14 other wrestlers in seeking a temporary and permanent injunction against the sanctions.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie L. Haines, presiding in Johnstown, has scheduled two days of hearings to be held next week on the request for a temporary injunction.
Attorney Joshua S. Mazin of Nazareth has charged that the PIAA through its hearing process has violated the constitutional rights of Bassett and the students, depriving them of their due process and First Amendment rights, and contending the PIAA's sanctions "were unsupported by any evidence of record and were based upon hearsay, speculation, suggestion, and observations obtained outside the hearing process."
In its response to the injunction request, the PIAA, through attorney Alan R. Boynton Jr. of Harrisburg, reviewed the process used by the PIAA -- which included three hearings -- before imposing sanctions.
The statewide organization that oversees athletic competition in Pennsylvania stated the "PIAA has determined that using athletics to recruit students -- either by public or private schools -- is unethical, unfair and detrimental to both students and the educational process since it subordinates academics to athletics, permits exploitation of students and negatively impacts on competitive fairness."
The PIAA went on to explain how it got involved in the present controversy.
It stated that the McCort wrestling team until recently was "essentially non-existent or moribund."
The school, prior to this year's wrestling team, had only five wrestlers between grades nine and 12.
The McCort wrestling team had to forfeit some past matches because of a lack of wrestlers, according to the PIAA.
But, during the past year, it stated, "There was a flurry of nationally ranked wrestlers that enrolled at (McCort)," according to the PIAA response.
"What changed?" asked the PIAA.
Bassett's son, a world champion wrestler, transferred to McCort from Forest Hills and "shortly thereafter," Bassett was hired as a teacher and in May of last year was appointed wrestling coach.
"Almost immediately, outstanding wrestlers from around the region began to enroll at McCort. Two transferred from a school in Maryland, another from North Carolina. The connection was coach Bassett," the PIAA said.
The PIAA contended that Bassett had coached most of the transferees at a fitness club in Cambria County called the Compound and that he had been active with the wrestlers through a club called The Ranger Pride Wrestling Club.
The PIAA explained that essentially every wrestler who transferred had been coached or trained by Bassett.
Forest Hills High School first raised the specter of athletic recruiting when one of its wrestlers transferred to McCort, and at that point (October 2021) the PIAA's District 6 committee began investigating.
The committee ruled the student had transferred for athletic reasons, which is against PIAA rules.
Although Bassett testified, none of the students were called to the stand during the District 6 inquiry.
"The District 6 committee found that Bishop McCort had used wrestling to recruit students to the school and turned a blind eye to the massive scale of recruiting," the PIAA contended.
The next hearing was before the PIAA Board of Appeal
It pointed out that Bassett had indicated he had coached all 15 transfers through the Compound and the wrestling club -- before they transferred.
The Board of Appeal found the "sheer number of wrestling transfers was alarming, "particularly in light of the fact that during the prior season, the team had to forfeit many matches because they did not have enough participants."
The Board of Appeal faulted the school administration for not inquiring about the possibility of recruiting, noting a sudden influx of "world-class wrestlers" who had a connection to Bassett.
The law, according to the PIAA, is on its side.
The inability of the students to participate in postseason tournaments is not recognized as irreparable harm, according to precedential cases cited by the PIAA.
And it contended Bassett, although unable to coach at the school, remains as a teacher and is still able to work at the Compound.
It went on to conclude the courts do not recognize the "right" of a student to participate in sports.
As for the students' claims that their First Amendment right to freely associate with others, the PIAA pointed out there is no bar against them from attending classes at McCort, or participating in training programs at the Compound and the wrestling club.
"Their rights of association have not been limited,"the PIAA contended.
Haines has scheduled hearings by video conference on Wednesday and Friday.