Davenport family asks for postponement of Friday hearing vs. AHSAA

The Maori Davenport saga, already one with its fair share of twists and turns, just took yet another one.

The family of the Charles Henderson High School star basketball player – including her mother, Tara Davenport, has filed a motion for a Friday hearing in their lawsuit against the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

That hearing was originally scheduled for Jan. 22. The motion asks that the ruling issued by Pike County Circuit Court Judge Sonny Reagan, which allowed for Davenport to play and overruling the AHSAA temporarily remain in place.

The Davenports are challenging the AHSAA’s stance that it is a private organization, claiming that all public schools within the state of Alabama have to join the AHSAA to compete in prep athletics.

Davenport was originally suspended after receiving an $850 stipend check from USA Basketball for her role in an overseas tournament in which the U-18 team won a gold medal.

The AHSAA prohibits stipends of more than $250, but USA Basketball sent the check without consulting the school or the organization. The AHSAA contends that the Davenport family returned the money three months after it was received while reports have said that the family returned the money to USA Basketball immediately after it was received.

The ruling the Davenport family wants to keep in place is the emergency motion issued by Judge Reagan which allowed the senior to take the court once again for her team. She tallied 25 points in her return in a 72-17 win for Charles Henderson over Carroll.

The Alabama State Legislature has also taken moves to ensure that greater oversight of the AHSAA occurs in the future.