By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI – The Michigan Supreme Court has ordered a lower court to decide whether the Michigan High School Athletic Association discriminated against a former exchange student from South Korea. The MHSAA is being accused of discrimination for refusing to allow the student to play football.
Sang Woo Robbins sat on the bench this past football season, which would have been his third year of playing for the Hudson Tigers. Robbins came to the US in 2009 as an exchange student, but decided to stay, was adopted by his host family and became a naturalized citizen. The high school athletic association, though, continued to treat him as an exchange student -- which means he is only eligible to play for one year. The rule is supposed to discourage schools from recruiting exchange students to build championship sports teams.
That's when the state Department of Civil Rights got involved and sued the athletic association for discrimination based on race and national origin. Everyone is hoping for a decision before the fall, which will begin Robbins' senior year and football season.