Instead of Ohio High School Athletic Association, OHSAA should stand for Ohio Haters Society Action Alliance.
It appears the group has turned its focus from egg-headed social-engineering efforts to tear down Catholic schools and other private institutions with its ridiculous "competitive balance" initiatives, and has set its sights on individuals now.
The latest target is Warren G. Harding student Arthur Cook, a transfer from Euclid High School, who was told by OHSAA overlords that he couldn't play basketball for the Raiders. In its infinite wisdom, the bureaucracy deemed that Cook's father brought him to the Warren City School District solely to play basketball.
Never mind that it's impossible to find that rule in the amoral blob of OHSAA bylaws - and the accusation really can't be proven anyway - one question remains: Why exactly would that be wrong?
Every day, people move into cities because of quality of their schools. Why can't an exceptional basketball player move to a district with a successful program? If there's a chance this young man can play in college, why would his family move him into an area with a small school and struggling team?
I'm guessing if Cook's father moved to a community with a tiny school, the czars of equality in Columbus wouldn't care at all. Harding is successful, though - and that catches the watchful eye on Mount OHSAA.
I've heard the most incendiary words uttered by OHSAA officials by eavesdropping at various state-level events, so this type of behavior doesn't surprise me. What does anger me is that this collective decided to attack this family based on a few cherry-picked Tweets and some things Euclid High School said. In an email to me, Cook's mother, Seanine Cook, expressed concerns that her son was the target of retaliation from his former school, and was being bullied by some of his peers. Arthur then took to Twitter to "deflect the humiliation" as she wrote to me.
I have to agree with all of that. It still doesn't explain why OHSAA brought down such a large hammer. Like another reader wrote me, "I smell a rat."
Indeed ... something is rotten.
Common Pleas Court Judge W. Wyatt McKay may not use that verbiage, but he still correctly granted a temporary restraining order against OHSAA's decree. Cook was then deemed eligible to play until a preliminary injunction on Jan. 13.
I seriously hope common sense and justice (what a quaint notion) prevail. Cook is just one young man standing in the face of this giant organization, which seeks to hinder his future for no real apparent reason.
Tyranny can be defined as the use of power where one has none. That's how OHSAA is acting here, and it needs to be smacked down in this instance.