Shawnee Mission golfers denied in first round of suit demanding district let them play
A Johnson County judge has denied five high school golfers’ request to allow them to immediately begin their season despite COVID-19 restrictions.
The golfers, all girls, and their parents are suing both the Shawnee Mission and Blue Valley school districts because officials temporarily banned all fall sports and activities.
Blue Valley officials on Friday, though, announced the district would resume high school sports this weekend. Attorney John Duggan, who is representing the families, was not immediately available to comment on how Blue Valley’s decision will affect the lawsuit.
While the case moves through court, the golf players requested a temporary restraining order that would have allowed them to begin immediately competing. But on Friday, district court Judge Robert Wonnell denied that request. A hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 11.
The families are suing on behalf of four players on the Shawnee Mission East High School girls golf team and one on the Blue Valley West High School team. Last year, Shawnee Mission East won the Kansas Class 6A state girls golf tournament.
The only golfers named in the case are 18-year-old sisters Hope and Hanna Robinett. The other players are minors suing through their parents: James and Julie Hepler, Billy Roman and Todd Misemer.
In the suit filed Tuesday, the families request that the districts allow players to compete in the fall season. Duggan argued that golf poses a lower risk than other sports when it comes to spreading the virus, because players use their own equipment and can maintain social distancing.
Throughout most of the pandemic, golf courses in the county have been allowed to stay open. Duggan argued in an interview with The Star earlier this week that districts should not impose sweeping restrictions on all fall sports.
But health officials have warned against allowing school sports to continue as spread of the virus remains high. Under state and county criteria for opening schools, if the number of new cases and the percentage of positive tests decline, districts could allow low-risk sports.
The Olathe school board on Thursday voted to go against that guidance and allow high school sports this fall. Friday morning, the Blue Valley superintendent announced the district would also allow sports and activities to resume.
The Shawnee Mission district has suspended all sports and activities.
Last week, the county reported more than 800 new coronavirus cases. On average, the county is seeing more than 110 new cases each day.
The positivity rate — which is the average percentage of positive COVID-19 tests over a 14-day period — was 11.6% on Friday. That number would need to be below 10% before county health officials recommend that low-risk sports resume.
