CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago public school athletes are suing CPS and the Illinois High School Association, saying they've been unfairly denied the right to take part in state playoffs because of the teachers’ strike.
Seventeen-year-old Lane Tech senior Jack Burns, a cross country runner, says this is the part of the season that matters most.
"I'm missing out on the payoff of all the hard work that I put in every day, especially for cross country, starting in the summer,” he said.
Athletes are suing the Illinois High School Association and Chicago Public Schools.
Karl Kemp is the executive director of the CPS sports administration office.
"A sure-fire way to get our students back on the field and back on the court is to first make sure they're back in the classroom, and that's to come to an agreement with the union and to end the strike,” he said.
The Illinois High School Association says in a statement, attributed to Executive Director Craig Anderson: "The IHSA Board of Directors has established a Strike Policy consistent with Illinois State Board of Education policies regarding student participation in school activities during a strike. The IHSA staff has consistently enforced that policy. Specific issues concerning this matter and any litigation has been referred to our legal counsel and we will refrain from further comment until they have been resolved."