For Immediate Release: March 11, 1999

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Statement of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice in Response to NCAA's Motion for Stay

"The court found that the standardized test score component of the NCAA's freshman eligibility rule has an unlawful discriminatory effect on African-Americans," said TLPJ's co-counsel, Danielle Banks of Philadelphia's Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP. "To suggest that the NCAA's administrative considerations are more important than ending race discrimination against student-athletes is outrageous."

"If the NCAA really thinks that the court's ruling has created chaos, the NCAA can easily end it," said TLPJ Staff Attorney Adele P. Kimmel, co-counsel for the plaintiffs. "The NCAA is in a position to adopt a new, non-discriminatory rule promptly. That's what it should do instead of fighting to keep its discriminatory rule in place."

The NCAA filed papers with the federal district court in Philadelphia asking for a stay of the ruling in Cureton v. NCAA, the national race discrimination class action in which the court recently struck down the minimum test score component of the NCAA's freshman eligibility rule as illegal and discriminatory.