MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) – Governor Kay Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter have filed a motion seeking a temporary restraining order against the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) over its ruling on student-athlete eligibility under the state’s new school choice law.
The motion, filed Friday in Montgomery County Circuit Court, argues that the AHSAA’s decision to require students who transfer schools under the CHOOSE Act to sit out of athletics for a year directly violates state law. The CHOOSE Act, passed in 2024, includes a provision stating that “nothing in this chapter shall affect or change the athletic eligibility of student athletes governed by the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
According to the filing, the AHSAA’s financial-aid rule classifies CHOOSE Act funds as a form of assistance that triggers ineligibility, despite the law’s language prohibiting discrimination against participating students. The motion states that schools have begun sidelining students out of fear of penalties from the AHSAA, depriving “affected students of invaluable and irreplaceable experience,” according to the motion.
Governor Ivey and Speaker Ledbetter said their goal is to ensure that all students have access to both education and athletics.
“We wrote and passed the CHOOSE Act to give every child a true choice in their education, and that very much includes participation in athletics,” Ivey said.
The case, CV-2025-373, asks the court to block enforcement of the AHSAA rule while the lawsuit moves forward.
