Missouri AG files federal discrimination lawsuit against MSHSAA
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) — Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday against MSHSAA in the Eastern District Court of Missouri.
Hanaway accuses the Missouri State High School Activities Association of two counts of unlawful race and sex discrimination, unlawful discriminating with respect to conditions of employment and discriminatory protection of the full and equal benefit of all laws.
The lawsuit stems from an accusation made in November by a whistleblower who claimed they were not eligible for an at-large position on MSHSAA’s board because they are white and male. The accusation led to Hanaway and State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to launch an investigation.
Previous reporting on the incident shows an article in MSHSAA’s constitution “does not serve as a blanket disqualification preventing administrators from running for or serving on the Board of Directors. Rather, the eligibility requirements are tied to specific seats, and by design they ensure balanced representation across both geographic regions and demographic groups.”
MSHSAA had stated on Nov. 19 that the provision was put in place more than 20 years ago. MSHSAA, in response to Hanaway’s lawsuit, stated in a news release that it is a private organization and the lawsuit is an attempt to have the state exercise control it should not have.
“The lawsuit filed by the Attorney General seeks to impose state control over the internal governance of a private association,” MSHSAA stated. “Missouri did not create MSHSAA, does not fund it, and does not oversee its operations. Nonetheless, the state now asks a federal court to dictate who may serve on MSHSAA’s volunteer Board of Directors and how its 724 member schools structure their leadership.”
“MSHSAA’s nomination policies and actions are racist and unlawful,” Hanaway was quoted in a Wednesday press release. “No organization, and certainly not a policymaking entity in charge of our children’s activities, will be allowed to defy and ignore federal anti-discrimination laws.”
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