CLEVELAND — Glenville High School will not play in Ohio's state football playoffs after an 8th District Court of Appeals ruling Thursday.
On Thursday, a stay of execution order was granted, which preserves the Ohio High School Athletic Association's initial ruling that sanctioned the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Glenville High School.
The order comes after Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Andrew J. Santoli granted a motion last Friday for a temporary restraining order filed last week, allowing Glenville's game against University School to proceed as previously scheduled.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Judge orders game between Glenville and University to proceed
The OHSAA initially announced Oct. 29 that it pulled Glenville from the playoffs as part of an ongoing investigation into student-athlete participation. The OHSAA started auditing Glenville concerning where players live and what high school they’re playing for, then decided to pull Glenville from the playoffs at the last minute.
Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Dr. Warren Morgan said family life inside the district is not cut and dry.
“This is the reality of our kids every day. They have multiple different places where they’re living, multiple different places where their families may be,” Morgan said. “And we need to make sure we have policies that reflect the high mobility rates of our students.”
The issues stem from students who attend Ginn Academy, a non-member magnet school founded by Glenville head coach Ted Ginn, Sr. Those students are supposed to play sports at the Cleveland Metro school closest to their residence.
Ginn previously told News 5 that he did "everything above board" and that he did not alter or hide anything.
In a statement Thursday, Glenville High School said it is "disappointed."
You can read the full statement below:
The District is aware of today's ruling by the 8th District Court of Appeals. While we are disappointed for our Glenville scholars and their families, we respect the authority of the Court. We’re extremely proud of all our student-athletes for their hard work, perseverance, and achievements this year, both on and off the field.
While this case focused on Glenville, this process has brought to light the significant challenges faced by high-mobility student populations. We want to recognize the heavy burden this placed on our scholars and their families, as it would have at many CMSD schools and other urban school districts. CMSD is committed to working with the OHSAA to improve its eligibility rules to ensure all scholars, regardless of their circumstances, have access to the same opportunities as other student-athletes.
On a positive note, we are excited and are rooting for our Rhodes High School Football team, who will make history this weekend in their second-ever postseason football game. Go Rams!
The OHSAA also released a statement, saying the association as well as its schools are "committed to the integrity and fairness" of its tournaments.
You can read the full statement below:
The Eighth District Court of Appeals issued a decision Thursday that allows the Ohio High School Athletic Association to sanction Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Glenville High School.
As a result, the OHSAA is able to enforce its Oct. 29 decision to remove Glenville from the playoffs. Hunting Valley University School will advance to play a Division III regional quarterfinal game at Salem Friday night.
“The OHSAA and our member schools are committed to the integrity and fairness of our tournaments,” said Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director. “While it is a difficult decision to remove students from a tournament, all member schools must abide by the rules and regulations that they have voted into place and that the OHSAA works to enforce.”
The decision Thursday reinforces the trial court’s decision Tuesday; “The Court … is not asked, nor permitted, to determine who is entitled to play in the Playoffs. It is beyond the scope of this Court’s authority to order that one team be entered into the Playoffs over another, or that one team advance in the Playoffs over another.”
The OHSAA will continue to work with Cleveland Metropolitan School District regarding the participation opportunities for non-enrolled students within their district.
