State Executive Committee Precedent Manual
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Part One. Organization and Rules
- Introduction
- The University Interscholastic League (UIL) is the state-wide organization that oversees academic, athletic and music competitions between the students of its member public and private schools. The UIL Constitution and Contest Rules (C&CR) provide that the State Executive Committee (SEC) provide independent and impartial direction on the league by:
(1) interpreting the Constitution and Contest Rules;
(2) enforcing the rules and regulations contained in the Constitution and Contest Rules;
(3) conducting any necessary recount of a referendum vote;
(4) determining disputes within its original jurisdiction; and
(5) hearing appeals within its appellate jurisdiction.The State Executive Committee, appointed by the Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, is composed of eight school administrators, representing each of the four geographical regions and each of the six conferences, and a minimum of four-at-large members. This committee interprets the rules, settles disputes between different UIL districts and disputes which arise past the district level, conducts investigations and hearings of alleged violations, and hears appeals.
In accord with Section 26 (g), the State Executive Committee Precedent Manual will be composed of written decisions that contain a synopsis of the facts along with the panel’s decision and a brief explanation of the basis for the decision in each case that a hearing panel deems to have precedential value.
For cases to be designated as having precedential value, a written decision must be approved by, as applicable, a majority of the SEC or the panel that heard the case before it may be published in the Precedent Manual. The Precedent Manual shall serve as a guide for future hearings and interested parties when considering the possible outcome of a case.
- Applicable UIL Constitution and Contest Rules
- The following sections of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules cover the State Executive Committee and related processes:
Subchapter E. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
Section 26, STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 27, PENALTIES THE STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CAN IMPOSESubchapter F. CLASSIFICATION OF VIOLATIONS; PROTESTS
Section 50: CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENT VIOLATIONS
Section 51: CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL VIOLATIONS
Section 52: CLASSIFICATION OF UIL SCHOOL VIOLATIONS
Section 53: CONDUCT SUBJECT TO PROTEST
Section 54: FILING A PROTEST
Section 55: REPORT OF VIOLATION
Section 56: INVESTIGATION OF PROTESTS OR ALLEGATIONSSubchapter G. COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND APPEALS
Section 100: GENERAL; HEARINGS
Section 150: APPEALS
Part Two. Decisions
SEC DECISIONS
16-0817-02: Age Rule (5-4 Grant)
Appellant’s former superintendent stated that the student met all criteria for an overage waiver, including being retained in the 5th and 6th grades due to a disability that delayed his education for a year or more.
16-0817-05: Moving for Athletic Reasons (6-3 Grant)
Appellant’s father claimed to have moved after the third varsity football game to another district for health and financial reasons despite having concerns about Appellant’s football position and playing time. Appellant established residency in the district through the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act.
16-0913-02: Moving for Athletic Reasons (4-0 Grant)
Appellant’s father claimed that he put his home on the market at a high price, and decided to sell after someone agreed to purchase the home at the price he was asking. The coach at Appellant’s previous school marked that the student moved for athletic purposes on the Previous Athletic Participation Form (PAPF) because he believed the student moved in order to raise his GPA in order to be eligible to attend a Division 1 (D1) college after graduation.
16-0927-02: Moving for Athletic Reasons (5-0 Grant)
Appellant’s guardian claimed to have rented a home with a family member and transferred Appellant from his previous school (School A) to his new school (School B) after the football season started strictly for financial reasons.
16-0927-04: Moving for Athletic Reasons (5-0 Grant)
Appellant’s mother claimed to have moved to a new school district because Appellant was having academic and discipline issues at his previous school (School A). It was determined by a DEC that Appellant moved to the new school (School B) for athletic reasons. After attending School B for one semester, Appellant then participated in workouts, football practices, and a scrimmage with another school (School C) during the summer without enrolling at the school. On the first day of the new school year, Appellant then transferred back to School A, where he previously had academic and discipline problems.
16-1019-05: Mercy Rule (5-0 Grant)
A UIL member school sought to overturn the DEC’s decision to deny its request to apply for a retroactive waiver after forfeiting two games in which an ineligible student participated, Section 469(a), UIL Constitution and Contest Rules. Once applying for a retroactive waiver was no longer an option for the school, Representatives then sought for the SEC to evoke what is commonly referred to as the “mercy rule,” Section 27 (c)(3), UIL Constitution and Contest Rules and declare the student ineligible from the date of the hearing, and thus not require the member school to forfeit the contest.
17-0215-01: Penalties Imposed by a DEC (4-0 Grant)
Appellant sought to overturn the DEC’s decision to issue the school a reprimand for insufficient punishment and poor communication, and to place the student on probation for the remainder of the basketball season in response to an alleged incident that occurred during a basketball game, Section 29(b) and Sections 50(a)(b), UIL Constitution and Contest Rules. Appellant claimed that although the student’s involvement in the incident was not intentional, he directed the student’s basketball coach to administer an appropriate consequence, and therefore, she was being punished excessively by the DEC’s decision to place her on probation. Appellant further argued that the school took appropriate steps to communicate the consequences administered with the opposing school and DEC.
17-0322-10 : Moving for Athletic Reasons (5-0 Deny)
Appellant, moved from Puerto Rico to Texas with his parents, but then then moved in with his current guardian after his mother returned to Puerto Rico. Appellant has lived with his guardian for nearly two years, during which time he completed the 8th grade and is currently attending the 9th grade in the same school district. Appellant met his current guardian at a baseball tournament near Appellant’s previous home in Puerto Rico.
17-0322-11: Moving for Athletic Reasons (5-0 Deny)
Appellant met a select baseball coach from Texas during a baseball tournament near his home in Puerto Rico. The coach then invited Appellant to play in a baseball tournament in Florida. While in Florida, Appellant’s family decided to stay in America and so the select baseball coach offered his father a job. Appellant has attended his current school district for nearly two years, during which time he has completed the eighth grade and is currently attending the ninth grade.
17-1206-02: Moving for Athletic Reasons (5- 0 Grant)
Appellant and his family moved to the new attendance zone after his grandmother was evicted from her apartment in his previous attendance zone. Appellant, his mother, and sister all live in the new attendance zone, however, Appellant lives with a friend that he met while playing basketball.
18-0213-01: Student Violations (5 - 0 to administer additional penalties)
School A and School B’s basketball teams were involved in a fight during a district game. The District Executive Committee (DEC) suspended both teams from their next district game. School B qualified for post-district play, however, School A did not
qualify. The DEC also suspended several players for two games. Appellants were required to attend an SEC hearing for consideration of additional penalties.
18-0213-04: Student, School Representative, and UIL Member School Violations (5 – 0 to administer additional penalties)
School A and School B’s basketball teams were involved in a fight after a district game. Both teams qualified for post-district play. The District Executive Committee (DEC) assessed penalties to each player involved in the fight. The SEC accepted the penalties administered by the schools and the DEC, and discussed further penalties for the coaches and schools.
18-0814-02: Individual Student Suspension (4-0 to lift current penalty and add additional penalties)
While attending School A, Appellant was involved in a fight with a student from School B during a basketball game in the previous school year. Representatives from School A and School B were required to attend an SEC hearing. After hearing the case, the SEC suspended Appellant from all UIL activities pending appearance before the SEC. Appellant transferred to School C near the end of the previous school year. Appellant participated in UIL activities without appearing before the SEC.
19-0820-04: Moving for Athletic Reasons (5-0 Deny)
The Appellant did not see “eye to eye” with his mother, so he moved in with his neighbor and then his grandfather in the same attendance zone as his previous school. Appellant and his grandfather soon moved to the new school district because they felt it was a safer environment.
19-1005-05: Moving for Athletic Reasons (5-0 Grant)
Appellant and his mother moved into the new school attendance zone to live with his grandparents. The move allowed Appellant to assist his ailing grandparents and his mother to save money.
19-1008-06: Moving for Athletic Reason (6-0 Grant)
Appellant bounced back and forth from his new school and his previous school several times while also attending a school in another state for a short period. Appellant applied for a residency waiver at his previous school and then transferred to the new school after it was denied.