VA family suing over rules preventing homeschool students from participating in public HS sports

VA family suing over policy preventing homeschool students from participating in public HS sports.

A family is taking legal action against the Virginia High School League, challenging rules that prevent homeschooled students from participating in public high school sports.

WASHINGTON - A family is taking legal action against the Virginia High School League, challenging rules that prevent homeschooled students from participating in public high school sports.

The lawsuit claims the policy is unconstitutional and discriminates against students educated outside traditional school systems.

The backstory:

Samuel Palmer, a ninth-grade student, excels academically — scoring in the 99th percentile in reading and the 98th percentile in math. But outside the classroom, it’s running that plays a critical role in his life.

Palmer says competitive running helps him manage a medical condition that can trigger sudden symptoms like OCD and anxiety.

However, there’s a hurdle: Palmer is homeschooled.

His family made that decision for religious reasons. His parents including his father, a Baptist pastor, believe public school could expose Samuel to worldviews that conflict with their faith, according to the lawsuit. But under current VHSL rules, homeschooled students are not allowed to participate in public high school athletics.

"My dad has taught me that we respect authority and generally would not want to be involved in a lawsuit. However, when people in authority do not obey the authority of the Constitution, the Constitution gives us this path as a remedy.

I hope this lawsuit will mean that I can keep training for competition and testing myself… There’s nothing like it. I also hope to improve enough to be able to run for the Hokies, or at least compete collegiately," Palmer says.

Dig deeper:

The lawsuit argues that VHSL’s policy violates:

• The Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution
• Virginia’s state constitution
• State laws protecting religious freedom

Palmer contends the rule is unfair because other students — including those attending public school fully online and private school students — are still allowed to compete in high school sports.

The suit also challenges the role of the Roanoke County School Board in enforcing the policy.

What they're saying:

In a statement, a VHSL spokesperson said: "Our membership has chosen to limit participation in VHSL-sponsored activities to students who attend VHSL’s member schools, and we are prepared to defend that policy in court if necessary."

The Palmer family is seeking a preliminary injunction that would allow Samuel to compete in track while the case moves through the courts.

Their attorneys say they hope to secure a hearing on that request as soon as possible.