Court order means Coolidge High School can play post-season despite AIA probation

A judge signed a court order Friday allowing the Coolidge High School boys basketball team to participate in post-season play.

Poor behavior at a recent playoff game previously resulted in the entire athletic department being put on year-long probation.

The semifinal game is now scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

This latest update came after the Arizona Interscholastic Association upheld its decision Thursday night to place the athletic department on probation — meaning all Coolidge High teams would be ineligible for post-season competition following allegations of racial taunts and spitting directed toward members of Chinle High School, which is in the Navajo Nation.

In a statement on social media, the district asked Coolidge fans to exhibit the highest level of sportsmanship, adding that any behavioral issues could lead to complications for the high school and its student athletes.

The AIA decision came after allegations of harassment at a high school basketball playoff game.

The alleged conduct was directed toward members of Chinle High School last week and reportedly involved racial taunts and even spitting. Almost all of Chinle High's students are Native American.

Rep. Myron Tsosie, who filed a complaint following the game, thanked the AIA for its action and called for positive sportsmanship.

The superintendent for the Coolidge Unified School District said it respectfully disagreed with the AIA’s characterization of the game as being “out of control” and filed an emergency appeal, which the AIA denied Thursday.

In a statement, the AIA’s Executive Board said it would revisit the issue at its next meeting on April 20. In the meantime, Coolidge will follow a corrective action plan that the AIA will monitor between now and then.