WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- State leaders are warning high schools about the legal liabilities they’ll face should they choose to allow basketball this winter.
The Illinois High School Association is moving forward with its winter basketball season next month, despite the governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health declaring the sport high-risk.
In a press conference Thursday, Gov. Pritzker announced the sport would resume in the spring and issued a warning to schools that opt in for basketball games.
“I do think it’s going to be problematic for schools that are going to allow the sports that we’ve said are highly susceptible to spread of the disease because there may be people who catch it at a game, their family catches it because somebody in the game gets the virus and then potentially there will be legal liability that could come to the schools," Pritzker said. "So I would urge everybody just significant caution.”
In a letter to school districts, the Illinois State Board of Education said defying the state’s public health guidance opens schools up to liability and other ramifications that may negatively impact school communities.
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But IHSA executive director Craig Anderson told WBBM legal liability is nothing new for school districts.
“Any time they bring students to their schools, there’s legal liability," Anderson said. "Obviously, COVID-19 brings another variable to that, that they’ll likely just have to navigate with their legal representation from their local school districts, but I don’t see any difference necessarily from what they may have done when they resumed our fall sports that were permitted.”
As a part of the IHSA mitigation plan, masks will be worn by all players, coaches, and officials during play with a maximum of 31 games. Basketball season starts Nov. 16.