West Virginia Supreme Court Clears Path for Class A Volleyball and Cheer Competitions
CHARLESTON, WV – In a significant ruling, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has allowed the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) to proceed with the Class A volleyball tournament and cheer competitions, after addressing conflicting decisions from lower courts that had put the events on hold.
On Thursday evening, the Supreme Court granted a motion from the WVSSAC, effectively overturning injunctions issued by circuit courts in Tyler and Hardy counties which had challenged the commission’s authority on high school sports classifications. The Supreme Court determined that the circuit judges exceeded their jurisdiction by intervening in matters that fall solely under the WVSSAC’s purview.
The court emphasized that the WVSSAC’s application of its rules is not subject to judicial review, stating, “the circuit court exceeded its authority in adjudicating the as-applied challenge to the WVSSAC reclassification rule.” This ruling comes in the wake of a request by the Tyler County Board of Education to shift its status from Class A to Class AA, which was granted on October 30, leading to an injunction from East Hardy High School that sought to block Tyler Consolidated High School from participating in the Class A tournament.
While tournaments for other classes (AA, AAA, and AAAA) proceeded without delay, the Supreme Court ruling enables Class A playoffs to move forward as originally scheduled, including the cheer state tournament.
Justice William Wooten stepped back from the proceedings, citing past professional ties to the WVSSAC, and was replaced by Fayette County Circuit Judge Thomas Ewing for this matter.
The WVSSAC can now carry on with the Class A volleyball and cheer championships, adhering to its established rules and regulations.
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