Oregon Adventist School Looks For Break In Tourney Schedule

Last year, the boys who play hoops for Portland Adventist Academy honored their religious Sabbath AND played in and won a state basketball tournament for the first time.

Now the reigning Class 2A champs want the Oregon School Activities Association to accommodate their religious beliefs again. They want assurances that if the team makes it to the state tournament, it wouldn’t have to play between sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

In court Friday, lawyers for the school outlined five scheduling options that they said might mildly inconvenience other teams but are necessary to uphold Adventists’ constitutional rights.

But the OSAA says the case goes far beyond rescheduling a few games for one private religious school.

A ruling in favor of Portland Adventist could mean chaos for the scheduling of other sports games and school activities around Oregon, OSAA officials said.

The court hearing drew at least a dozen coaches and others who organize school activities.

“It’s bigger than just one boys basketball team,” OSAA director Wes Ediger said.

“Every religion has certain beliefs, and to single out Portland Adventist and to adhere to their beliefs without considering all the other religions and their beliefs, and their holidays and holy days … To accommodate all the beliefs of all the people who make up this state would be a scheduling nightmare,” added OSAA assistant director Tom Welter.

That’s not a legally valid argument, responded Portland Adventist’s attorney Don Marmaduke.

U.S. District Judge Ancer Haggerty said he will rule by Monday on Portland Adventist’s request that he order the OSAA to accommodate the players’ religious beliefs.