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High School Football Playoff Split Issue Heads to the Legislature

A state lawmaker has pre-filed a bill that aims to make it illegal for an association or organization to prohibit any school from participating in athletic activities based on its admissions criteria.

Rep. Bob Hensgens of Abbeville said his bill is in response to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association's vote in January to split football playoffs into two divisions: one for select admission schools – such as private and parochial schools – and another for non-select public schools.

Proponents of the split, mostly public schools, say it promotes fair and equal competition, while opponents say it waters down championships and is a form of segregation.

Rep. Hensgens said all student athletes in Louisiana should get to play against each other.

"And we should not be teaching our children that we’re going to segregate on any fashion. In our athletic programs or our academic programs," Hensgens said.

Hensgens' bill will be discussed in the upcoming legislative session beginning in April. If the rule-change is allowed to stand, it will go into effect this fall.

 

Copyright 2021 WRKF. To see more, visit .

Ashley Westerman is a producer who occasionally directs the show. Since joining the staff in June 2015, she has produced a variety of stories including a coal mine closing near her hometown, the 2016 Republican National Convention, and the Rohingya refugee crisis in southern Bangladesh. She is also an occasional reporter for Morning Edition, and NPR.org, where she has contributed reports on both domestic and international news.

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