New Lawsuit Filed In Buffalo Could Allow Students To Play Sports

There have been a lot of back and forth about high-risk sports being allowed or not. Most parents you talk to would like to see sports being played in schools for various reasons but on the high school level, many student-athletes are playing to get to the next level and are being looked at by recruiters.

According to WGRZ, a lawsuit is being filed, to get high-risk sports treated like lower-risk sports under the same rules. The law firm is Hogan Willig, they are hoping to get a permeate injunction, barring New York State from enforcing restrictions on those sports and allowing them to operate the same as low-risk sports.

Right now, high-risk sports include basketball, hockey, cheerleading, volleyball, wrestling, and football. According to WGRZ, the plaintiffs include 15 parents, eight student-athletes, seven coaches, two resource school officers, and one referee. They are all from different school districts in the Western New York area. New York State just recently released guidelines for high-risk sports to resume on February 1. but just after the announcement, five-county health departments recommended that some high-risk sports teams postpone or cancel their winter 2021 season.

In my opinion, this is an important issue because I understand the safety concerns of the health departments, to keep students safe. As a parent of a student-athlete, myself, I struggle with knowing my child wants to play, and the fact that it keeps my child in shape mentally and physically as well as prepares kids for the next level. I hope there is a resolution soon.