The Manitoba High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) has unfairly targeted and banned eight student-athletes from Churchill High School, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from participating in varsity and junior varsity basketball during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. The MHSAA has banned the student-athletes by applying its preparatory policy in the middle of the school sports tournaments without consultation with the key stakeholders. The MHSAA’s policy has disproportionately impacted students who are part of the Northstar Basketball Program, housed at Churchill High School, but the students are not part of the preparatory program. They attend circuit program at Northstar. In contrast, the MHSAA has allowed students from other schools participating in similar basketball programs to compete without restriction. This selective enforcement, in the middle of the school sports season, is unjust, discriminatory, and violates the MHSAA’s commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. 

We, the undersigned, demand that the MHSAA:

1. Withdraw the ban imposed on Churchill High School and its eight student-athletes, allowing them to compete in MHSAA-sanctioned basketball events.
2. Repeal the discriminatory sport preparatory program policy and replace it with one that promotes racial equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism, developed through meaningful consultation with all stakeholders, including parents, students, and schools. The policy should also clearly define why it is being implemented, who it affects, and the specific circumstances it applies to. 

Please sign this petition and support it by sharing widely with your network.

Sincerely,

Parents: Keshab Thapa, Saraswati Bhurtyal, Maria Peape, Jake Peape, Destiny Smith, Ola Ofime, Ojulowo Omo Adeniyi, Darryl Alejo, Rebecca Bekele, and Salimata Soro 

Student-athletes: Drishya Thapa, Rylan Peape, Brook Bekele, Kobe Alejo, Phillipe Ofime, Malick Kone, Tevyn Jezic, and Olasubomi Allimson

Please read below for details:

Why is releasing the ban on student-athletes urgent?

1. The MHSAA’s Preparatory Program Definition does not Qualify the Reason for Banning the Student Athletes 

The MHSAA has the following Preparatory Program Definition: 

“Preparatory programs will be defined as programs that may include the following:

1) Offers a student specialized sport specific training and/or competition 

2) The sport specific preparatory program is either fully, or partially, housed in the school in which they attend.

3) The program provides students with a modified schedule/course of studies worked around their sport training and/or competition at the high school the program is administered from

4) Provides training and/or competition offered through the program for the purpose of preparing students for further opportunities in that sport

5) Program promotes new student registration to the school.” 

The Northstar Basketball program stands as the sole recognized Basketball Preparatory Program in the Province. The MHSAA's ban raises concerns about equity. The statement, “The sport specific preparatory program is either fully, or partially, housed in the school in which they attend,” appears to disproportionately focus on this specific group of athletes. 

Even with the program at Churchill High School, student-athletes do not receive additional resources or practices compared to their teammates at other schools. The student-athletes do not have a modified schedule/course of studies worked around their sports training and/or competition at the school. 

The MHSAA's assertion that it had conducted a comprehensive investigation before reaching its decision is questionable. A proper investigation would have involved contacting educators and administrators from the school and consulting the program director. None of this was done. The findings should indicate that there are no valid grounds for declaring ineligibility.

Additionally, six out of the eight student-athletes deemed “ineligible” were allowed to participate in the 2023-2024 season. During that season, the six student-athletes were members of the Northstar Basketball Program. For the 2024-2025 season, the students were registered to participate in MHSAA events through Churchill High School. The rosters were approved in December 2024, and the student-athletes participated in tournaments and games until the end of January 2025. It is crucial for the MHSAA to acknowledge that if the staff, coaches, students, and parents at Churchill had believed these students were genuinely ineligible to participate in their high school teams, they would not have tried out and registered for participation.

2. The Policy is Discriminatory and Unfair
The MHSAA’s Sports Preparatory Policy states that student-athletes who participate in a sport preparatory (prep) program housed in their school are ineligible to compete in MHSAA-sanctioned sports for that school. However, the MHSAA has applied this policy exclusively to Churchill High School students attending Northstar Basketball Academy. Student-athletes from other schools who participate in similar prep-level training programs offered by other academies and programs in Winnipeg face no such restrictions. This unequal policy application creates a double standard, unfairly targeting Churchill High School and its student-athletes.

3. The Policy Violates the MHSAA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policy
The MHSAA’s DEI policy explicitly commits to “encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion in its administration, policies, programs, and activities.” It aims to ensure that underrepresented groups have “a full and equitable range of opportunities to participate and lead.” The banned student-athletes from Churchill High School belong to underrepresented groups, as defined by the MHSAA, including individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), children from low-income families, and newcomers to Canada. By banning these students in the middle of the school basketball tournaments, the MHSAA has created barriers to participation, directly contradicting its DEI programming, which promises to:

• Ensure no barriers to participation for Under-Represented Groups;
  Create and support programming that addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion; and
• Encourage underrepresented groups to act as role models for young participants.

4. The Policy Violates the MHSAA’s Anti-Racism Policy (ARP)
The MHSAA’s Anti-Racism Policy defines anti-racism as “the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, and practices.” It also defines discrimination as “treating a person unequally by imposing unequal burdens or denying benefits.” The selective enforcement of the Sports Preparatory Policy against Churchill High School students demonstrates a clear abuse of power. It violates the ARP’s commitment to race equity, which requires providing everyone with “a full range of activity, program, and leadership choices that meet their needs, interests, and experiences.”

5. The MHSAA Lacked Consultation with Stakeholders
The MHSAA’s decision to enforce this policy was made without adequate consultation with key stakeholders, including the parents of the affected student-athletes and the students themselves. As the most impacted parties, we were neither consulted nor informed directly about this decision. This lack of transparency and inclusion in the decision-making process further highlights the policy's unfairness and discriminatory nature.

6. The Student-Athletes are Mentally and Emotionally Impacted by the Ban
The student-athletes have demonstrated exceptional dedication and hard work, contributing to the competitive performance of Churchill High School’s junior varsity and varsity teams. For example, recent games against Kings School, Fort Richmond Collegiate, and Sisler High School resulted in close scores, demonstrating the team’s competitiveness. 

After the MHSAA's ban, Churchill High School’s team has faced a string of disheartening losses against rival teams. This decision has caused frustration and disappointment among the students, undermining their morale and the spirit of fair play. The MHSAA is denying them the opportunity to showcase their skills and compete at a critical time in their athletic and personal development. This ban affects not only the eight students deemed ineligible but also their teammates and coaches. 

Finally,

The MHSAA must be held accountable for its alarming lack of empathy regarding the impact this decision has on the mental well-being of our athletes. Imposing such a ban on youth mid-season is not just questionable—it is utterly egregious. The students should be able to represent their school and play the sport they are passionate about alongside their friends without bias. 

The MHSAA’s current policy enforcement is unjust, discriminatory, and inconsistent with its stated values. We urge the MHSAA to take immediate action to rectify this situation and ensure that all student-athletes are treated fairly and equitably.

Together, we can ensure fairness, equity, and inclusion in high school sports.

Thank you.