Court grants Gov. Kay Ivey, House Speaker request for temporary restraining order against AHSAA ruling
Governor Ivey and Speaker Ledbetter filed a restraining order to prevent AHSAA from enforcing a rule that bars CHOOSE Act student transfers from athletics for one year, citing fairness concerns.
- Following a Friday hearing, Montgomery County Circuit Judge J.R. Gaines issued a temporary restraining order halting the Alabama High School Athletic Association's CHOOSE Act eligibility rule after Governor Kay Ivey and Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter filed a motion in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
- Under AHSAA bylaws, the Alabama High School Athletic Association treats CHOOSE Act vouchers as "financial aid" and enforces a one-year ineligibility for transfer students receiving such aid, while the CHOOSE Act established Education Savings Accounts and refundable tax credits up to $7,000 per child.
- AHSAA Board of Directors held a Thursday emergency meeting and voted against reversing its ruling, while Heath Harmon confirmed the rule applies to about 23,000 CHOOSE Act participants this year.
- The temporary restraining order is effective immediately and prevents enforcement of the CHOOSE Act disqualification while the lawsuit proceeds, allowing affected student-athletes to compete as Montgomery County Circuit Court schedules a hearing in two weeks.
- Ivey and Ledbetter contend the CHOOSE Act bars eligibility changes without legislative consultation, while Ledbetter expects Alabama Legislature to scrutinize AHSAA operations amid its recent lawsuits.
15 Articles
15 Articles

Judge temporarily blocks Alabama rule saying voucher students can't play sports for a year
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A judge on Friday sided with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and blocked a policy that prevented school voucher recipients from playing on sports teams this fall.
Alabama sues AHSAA, court grants temporary restraining order on CHOOSE Act transfer rule - The Troy Messenger
Just a day after the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) released a statement confirming their stance on transfer rules involving CHOOSE Act students, the State of Alabama was granted a temporary restraining order against the ASHAA transfer rules. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter announced on Thursday that the State […]
Judge grants temporary restraining order against AHSAA
A Montgomery judge granted Alabama lawmakers a temporary restraining order against the Alabama High School Athletic Association Friday, Sept. 5. The ruling, ordered by Montgomery County Circuit Judge J.R. Gaines, temporarily halts the association from enforcing any rule or policy making acceptance of Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act funds as the only determining factor for sports eligibility. The other uphol…
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