Student-Athletes Fought For Their Right To Play And Won Student-Athletes Fought For Their Right To Play And Won - Michigan Rising Action

Student-Athletes Fought For Their Right To Play And Won

Student-Athletes Fought For Their Right To Play And Won

It’s still concerning that Gov. Whitmer is arbitrarily making shutdown orders based on what appears to be political science.

February 5, 2021

Governor Gretchen Whitmer changed her mind and has allowed winter high-school sports to begin after parents of five student-athletes and other advocacy groups sued Whitmer’s administration earlier this week. The lawsuit followed a robust social media campaign from athletes, parents, coaches, and officials using the hashtags #LetUsPlay and #LetThemPlay and a large rally at the state Capitol attended by thousands

High-school student-athletes join a long list of groups such as medical providerschurchesgardening centers, and bowling alleys who have been granted their rights to work or operate after suing Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration over arbitrary shutdown orders.  

Michigan Rising Action’s executive director published an op-ed in The Detroit News repeating the call for Whitmer to cite the science and metrics she was using to ban sports while neighboring states played. 

“I will ask again. Gov. Whitmer — what are the metrics the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is making decisions on and why did the director who signed the most recent orders resign just hours later?”

Before changing her mind, Whitmer cited the new coronavirus variant as a reason student-athletes couldn’t play in Michigan. When the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced their about-face on the topic, the still existing variant was not mentioned. 

We’re happy for the student-athletes who learned a valuable lesson by fighting for their right to play and winning. It’s still concerning that Gov. Whitmer is arbitrarily making shutdown orders based on what appears to be political science. Nearly a year into the pandemic and there are still no clear metrics Whitmer is using for her shutdown orders. – Tori Sachs, executive director of Michigan Rising Action

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