burnet44
02-12-2007, 11:36 AM
Cornerstone Christian Schools to sue UIL
Web Posted: 02/11/2007 10:30 PM CST
Abe Levy
Express-News
Cornerstone Christian Schools, which was denied re-entry into the state's largest private school league last fall, hopes a federal court will make it only the third private school to compete in the state's largest overall extracurricular organization, the University Interscholastic League.
Accusing the UIL of religious discrimination, leaders of the church and school said they plan to sue the UIL today, and they furnished a copy of the proposed suit to the San Antonio Express-News on Sunday.
News of this plan came during an announcement Sunday morning by Cornerstone Church pastor and school founder John Hagee as he spoke from his church's pulpit in front of a 5,000-member audience.
"Our school is going to be the very best we can make it, and no one is going to prevent us from achieving excellence in any area," he said, drawing applause.
Texas is believed to be one of three states in which private schools are typically not allowed to compete with public schools in statewide extracurricular organizations.
Only Dallas Jesuit and Houston Strake Jesuit were permitted to join the UIL three years ago and only after one of them sued. The UIL granted access because those schools had larger enrollments than other private leagues allowed.
Cornerstone believes the UIL has made biased policies against private, religious schools whose students and their parents must endure burdens such as extra travel and expenses that public schools in the UIL don't have.
The UIL "has said 'We're the best in the world, but you can't come in,'" Hagee said. "'Your tax dollars make us possible, but you can't come in. You go over and play in some other league.' They don't have the power to do that in the United States of America."
At issue in the proposed suit is whether the Cornerstone school is viewed as eligible for membership into the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, a body of more than 250 members. If the school is, the UIL can ban it.
TAPPS president Larry Crooks of Dallas would not elaborate on why Cornerstone was not admitted this year but maintained a position that the school still meets eligibility requirements. He said Cornerstone "wanted to have their own type of school and athletic program that was not for TAPPS."
TAPPS director Edd Burleson could not be reached for comment but said in a previous interview that Cornerstone was transferring too many players for its basketball team, including those "from other parts of the country and other countries. It's a great mission, but it doesn't fit in with the guidelines of TAPPS."
Alan Hulme, Cornerstone school superintendent, said TAPPS has not stated what — if any — rules violations the school had committed nor specifically why it was dismissed last year from the league.
"There are no rules we violated," he said. "We're not eligible (for TAPPS) because they did not give us a contract."
UIL athletic director Charles Breithaupt said Cornerstone may not join the UIL because TAPPS views the school as eligible. Any rules violations committed by Cornerstone still don't change its eligibility for that league.
"Our attorneys will have to look at the (proposed) suit, but it has nothing to do with a religious decision — simply the qualification for membership," he said, noting he is a deacon at a Georgetown church.
The proposed lawsuit names student Jared Farhart and his parents, Scott and Sandra Farhart — who are also Cornerstone school board members — as plaintiffs along with Cornerstone school.
They contend they should not be barred from the UIL because they've chosen to attend a Christian school and question why the UIL would not welcome more competition. If allowed in, school officials said, they would adhere to the same rules as public schools and accept whatever classification the UIL grants.
"Our (school's) vision is large, and the UIL's vision is large," Sandra Farhart said. "Yet we cannot increase our vision. It has to stay at a certain level."
Web Posted: 02/11/2007 10:30 PM CST
Abe Levy
Express-News
Cornerstone Christian Schools, which was denied re-entry into the state's largest private school league last fall, hopes a federal court will make it only the third private school to compete in the state's largest overall extracurricular organization, the University Interscholastic League.
Accusing the UIL of religious discrimination, leaders of the church and school said they plan to sue the UIL today, and they furnished a copy of the proposed suit to the San Antonio Express-News on Sunday.
News of this plan came during an announcement Sunday morning by Cornerstone Church pastor and school founder John Hagee as he spoke from his church's pulpit in front of a 5,000-member audience.
"Our school is going to be the very best we can make it, and no one is going to prevent us from achieving excellence in any area," he said, drawing applause.
Texas is believed to be one of three states in which private schools are typically not allowed to compete with public schools in statewide extracurricular organizations.
Only Dallas Jesuit and Houston Strake Jesuit were permitted to join the UIL three years ago and only after one of them sued. The UIL granted access because those schools had larger enrollments than other private leagues allowed.
Cornerstone believes the UIL has made biased policies against private, religious schools whose students and their parents must endure burdens such as extra travel and expenses that public schools in the UIL don't have.
The UIL "has said 'We're the best in the world, but you can't come in,'" Hagee said. "'Your tax dollars make us possible, but you can't come in. You go over and play in some other league.' They don't have the power to do that in the United States of America."
At issue in the proposed suit is whether the Cornerstone school is viewed as eligible for membership into the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, a body of more than 250 members. If the school is, the UIL can ban it.
TAPPS president Larry Crooks of Dallas would not elaborate on why Cornerstone was not admitted this year but maintained a position that the school still meets eligibility requirements. He said Cornerstone "wanted to have their own type of school and athletic program that was not for TAPPS."
TAPPS director Edd Burleson could not be reached for comment but said in a previous interview that Cornerstone was transferring too many players for its basketball team, including those "from other parts of the country and other countries. It's a great mission, but it doesn't fit in with the guidelines of TAPPS."
Alan Hulme, Cornerstone school superintendent, said TAPPS has not stated what — if any — rules violations the school had committed nor specifically why it was dismissed last year from the league.
"There are no rules we violated," he said. "We're not eligible (for TAPPS) because they did not give us a contract."
UIL athletic director Charles Breithaupt said Cornerstone may not join the UIL because TAPPS views the school as eligible. Any rules violations committed by Cornerstone still don't change its eligibility for that league.
"Our attorneys will have to look at the (proposed) suit, but it has nothing to do with a religious decision — simply the qualification for membership," he said, noting he is a deacon at a Georgetown church.
The proposed lawsuit names student Jared Farhart and his parents, Scott and Sandra Farhart — who are also Cornerstone school board members — as plaintiffs along with Cornerstone school.
They contend they should not be barred from the UIL because they've chosen to attend a Christian school and question why the UIL would not welcome more competition. If allowed in, school officials said, they would adhere to the same rules as public schools and accept whatever classification the UIL grants.
"Our (school's) vision is large, and the UIL's vision is large," Sandra Farhart said. "Yet we cannot increase our vision. It has to stay at a certain level."