Robertsdale HS (AL) head coach Justin Jones is taking the AHSAA to court after an anonymous letter led to a suspension for him, an assistant, and nearly a dozen players, he's seeking a solution fast.
Jones filed suit in Baldwin County Circuit Court this week after the Alabama High School Athletic Association suspended him, one of his assistants and 10 of his players from participation in football activities. He is seeking a temporary restraining order and an injunction that would put him back on the sideline right away.
The discpline stems from an anonymous letter submitted to the AHSAA which suggested improper conduct inside the program, according to court records reported by Fox 10. On September 8, the association asked Robertsdale principal William White for information about Jones and the students named. White turned over everything they had regarding the allegations the very next day.
On September 15, the AHSAA decided the information provided was not up to snuff, and handed out the suspensions.
Jones' central complaint is a legit one. He says he never got the specific allegations, was never interviewed, and never even had a chance to answer any of it before the ruling came down from the AHSAA. His filing argues the suspension has done real damage to his career, his reputation and his finances.
The suit names a long list of defendants: the AHSAA, executive director Heath Harmon, the Baldwin County Board of Education, superintendent Marty McRae and White. As of the filing, the AHSAA had not entered a written response.
An emergency hearing on the request is set for Saturday morning, where each side will be given an hour to make its case.
This is just the latest in controversial last few months for in Baldwin County. Robertsdale high school has already spent this season tangled in eligibility questions, with a group of transfers cleared to play only after families pushed back on the association and threatened legal action of their own. Coaches around the state have watched that fight closely, because the questions Jones is raising, notice, due process, and the right to hear the case against you, aren't unique to one program.
For high school coaches, how this plays out is important. In Michigan, a noted high school coach Don Fellows lawyered up a few weeks back to challenge a suspension, but his hearing with the MHSAA was set for the week after his suspension was set to run its course and therefore was unable to fight it in the way he wanted to. Programs live and die by their state association rulings, and a coach arguing in open court that he was suspended without ever being told why sets up a test of how much explanation the association owes before it has the authority to pull someone off the field.
We'll try to update this one as the hearing plays out. Stay tuned to The Scoop.