Dallas High School Student Athletes Protest Postponement Of Sports Activities
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A group of high school student athletes from several Dallas ISD schools on Monday staged a protest outside the district's headquarters as sports activities have been postponed.
When Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa announced there will be no on-campus learning until October, that also meant no football or other high school sports.
"Let us play! Let us play! Let us play!" students yelled at Monday's protest.
The delay of on-campus activities has generated backlash from some student athletes, like 16-year-old Carter Sido of Hillcrest High School, and their parents.
"Everybody around us is playing. I don't understand why we're the only district not going to play," Sido said.
Sido and others are pleading their case to Hinojosa.
"Even though things are better, there's not one indicator that says it's okay to bring students in person," the superintendent said last week.
Hinojosa said last week that recommendations from a public health committee for school led him to stop the Sept. 8 plan to return to in-person learning. There would also be no organized sports activities either.
"I know our safety may be at risk, but our future might be also," one student said at the protest.
The protesting athletes and family members say other Dallas area districts have an unfair advantage now.
"There are other districts that have found a way to make this work. The same chance should be given across the board and let these students make the decision," parent Cassandra Preston said.
Over the past two weeks, Dallas County has reported more than 500 school-aged children have tested positive for COVID-19.
However, no one at Monday's protest believes those infections should stop them from playing sports.
Starting Monday, other school districts like Highland Park, Garland and Richardson began football training sessions at schools.