HS Basketball Star's Parents Now Suing over Daughter's Ineligibility
Last week, we brought you the story of Maori Davenport, the Alabama high school girls’ basketball player ruled ineligible by state officials over a payment from USA Basketball to cover expenses related to a trip to an international tournament in Mexico City.
Davenport’s family returned the money in full as soon as they found out the payment broke a rule, hoping that the “no harm, no foul” principle could apply, the state could drop the matter, and Davenport could get back to playing basketball at the high school level before her college days begin at Rutgers in the fall.
Alabama commissioner Steve Savarese disagreed, however, imposed the season-long suspension and for good measure vacated four of Charles Henderson High School’s wins, in the process harming the state tournament prospects for the Troy-based squad.
When the story hit the national media, it had all the ingredients for an Outrage Soufflé, which rose in the oven so well that even Billie Jean King and Kobe Bryant issued public statements condemning the decision and calling on the Alabama High School Athletic Association to reverse its decision.
Sadly, the publicity had no effect, so Davenport’s parents heeded the advice that Doug Llewellyn used to give on “The People’s Court”: “Don’t take the law into your own hands. You take ’em to court.”
They filed a lawsuit against the AHSAA and Savarese.
Mario and Tara Davenport enlisted the services of the Cole Law Firm, which won a quick victory in getting an injunction from an Alabama judge against the AHSAA.
BREAKING: A judge has ruled in Maori Davenport’s favor and she can play tonight https://t.co/eBiPCC4Rec pic.twitter.com/SwmsWupvpN
— AL.com (@aldotcom) January 11, 2019
Which, in turn, means Davenport is eligible to play Friday night, and woe betide the poor souls on the Carroll High School team who have to defend her.
Because Davenport wants to drop a performance that, in basketball terms, is dunking on Steve Savarese like she’s Vince Carter and he’s Frederic Weis.
Maori Davenport isn’t officially talking to the press until after tonight’s game, but I can tell you this — She is getting the hero’s treatment at Charles Henderson High School today.
And she promised at least one classmate 100 points tonight. pic.twitter.com/4KWY6htJo9
— D’Arcy Maine (@darcymaine_espn) January 11, 2019
This started out as a feel-bad story about a kid getting shafted by insensitive state bureaucrats.
Social media has elevated it to the level of a comic book superhero taking on the evil empire.
Jay Bilas, who signal-boosted the original message last Saturday, was instrumental in bringing the story to the nation’s attention.
Shoutout to @JayBilas for putting the @AHSAAUpdates on BLAST during the @AlabamaMBB game against Kentucky just now. It is ABHORENT what the @AHSAAUpdates is doing to #MaoriDavenport I hope this means that justice will be done in this incident SOON.
— Dame of Dissolute, House of Rachet Noir (@CrimsonandSpice) January 5, 2019
Davenport herself pointed out that she would do the whole thing all over again for the honor of playing for her country.
Talking with basketball star Maori Davenport. She was recently banned from the game she loves, because she was sent a $857 check from USA basketball for playing on team USA in an international game. She says she doesn’t regret playing for her country. #MaoriDavenport pic.twitter.com/9VdOT6B3S1
— Reshad Hudson (@ReshadHudson) January 10, 2019
A thing worth remembering here is that this is just a temporary injunction from the judge; a final hearing won’t be until some point later in the season.
There’s also been some controversy involving the choice of judge, as Pike County Circuit Judge Sonny Reagan resigned as assistant attorney general in Alabama following his role in alleged obstruction of justice involving the corruption investigation against then-Alabama state House Speaker Mike Hubbard.
But ultimately, this comes down, as it did last week, to two competing doctrines, and if I may be allowed the luxury of quoting myself:
“Rules are rules” and “actions have consequences” are two of the most fundamental underpinnings of a lawful and ordered society.
But “no harm, no foul” and “it was an honest mistake, you made it right, and it won’t happen again” are the principles that mark the difference between justice and power-trip authoritarianism.
And in the court of public opinion, petty bureaucracy has been convicted on all counts of power-trip authoritarianism.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
