St. Sabina grammar school has announced its withdrawal from the Southside Catholic Conference for the second time in eight months, citing unresolved issues of racism and equity as well as “a lack of integrity” by league officials.
After publicly fighting for acceptance into the mostly white Catholic athletic conference, the black parish voted unanimously Thursday to pull out, defying the earlier wishes of Cardinal Francis George, who had pushed for St. Sabina’s participation since June.
In a letter notifying the conference of their decision, school officials complained the league was enforcing an unwritten rule that prohibited 7th graders from playing on 8th-grade teams during the playoffs, which started Friday. The top-seeded 8th-grade team from St. Sabina includes at least two 7th graders.
“We have unanimously decided that due to this issue and a myriad of other issues, which demonstrate a lack of equity and integrity, effective immediately we will no longer participate in Southside Catholic Conference activities and events,” said the letter signed by St. Sabina’s athletic board president, athletic director and principal.
A five-page attachment to the letter detailed, in chronological order, a host of other issues that have been simmering for months, including an incident in which an opponent allegedly used a racial epithet to refer to a St. Sabina player.
Michael Phelan, chairman of the conference, said wearily that he wasn’t surprised at St. Sabina’s departure. “It’s a conference of 22 members and someone is always mad. Twenty-one now,” said Phelan, who received the letter from St. Sabina Friday. “Nothing shocks me.
“The cardinal told me that we should play together and make this thing work,” he added. “You’re supposed to respect authority. Maybe he told St. Sabina something different.”
Archdiocese of Chicago officials said Saturday they could not verify St. Sabina’s departure and called it a league matter. “The SCC is an independent league,” said spokesman Jim Dwyer. “The cardinal helped facilitate an agreement so what should have happened did happen. Our view is that this has nothing to do with the church.”
St. Sabina’s exit from the league was clear on the basketball court. On Saturday night, 8th graders from the St. Gerald Giants in Oak Lawn gathered in the Marist High School gym to face off against St. Sabina.
By 6:15 p.m., the forfeit time, St. Sabina players hadn’t shown up. Instead of a playoff game, the disappointed St. Gerald team held a practice.
Colin Sullivan, a 14-year-old Giants player, said he felt worst for the St. Sabina team, which had a great season. “I thought they were going to at least take second place this year,” he said.
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St. Sabina’s grievances began when the league denied St. Sabina entry last May, after some parents expressed safety concerns over traveling to the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood.
In June, the league reversed its decision. But a month later, citing “disrespect and deception,” St. Sabina tried to withdraw from the conference over the terms of a no-forfeiture policy. In August, after the league approved rules regarding forfeitures, safety and racial taunting, St. Sabina athletic officials said they would remain.
Tensions flared, however, during the basketball season. Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina, an outspoken activist who has become a lightning rod within the Catholic church, said parents verbally abused him after a game Dec. 16. Two days later, according to the St. Sabina letter, another parish’s coach refused to shake hands with St. Sabina coach Christopher Mallette in front of both teams.
Then, in January, a St. Bede player allegedly called a St. Sabina player by a racial epithet– an incident St. Sabina said went unaddressed by league and church officials.
St. Bede conference board representative Bill Burns said the allegation was never substantiated. If it had been, Burns said, “We would have dealt with it immediately.”
Burns also filed an unsportsmanlike conduct complaint with the league against St. Sabina, charging that, among other things, St. Sabina coaches intentionally ran up scores. Anibal Vega, an assistant coach for St. Sabina, denied that allegation.
Peer mediation at a neutral site was suggested, but St. Bede declined to go. When St. Sabina learned St. Bede had been allowed to participate in the playoffs, school officials added that to the grievance list.
Burns said there was no reason to attend mediation since the charge was unsubstantiated. He also said St. Sabina was receiving equal treatment.
“I don’t think you’ll find a better run or more equitable conference that reaches out to all its members,” said Burns. “I don’t know what [St. Sabina] is looking for.”
On Saturday, most athletic directors did not know St. Sabina had left the conference. “It’s a full-time job keeping up with them. It’s a shame they just can’t let their kids play ball,” said Cathy Sullivan, athletic director at St. Alexander in Palos Heights. She said she has had enough of the ongoing saga.
“I’m so tired of it that I really don’t care what they’re going to do,” she said. “This constant `poor me’ attitude is old hat. Let them pull out. I’m not going to lose sleep over it.”
But many parents and coaches felt it was a great loss. “I’m extremely disappointed,” said Terry Reilly, coach of the St. Gerald Giants. “They’ve got a very good team. I think they’re making the wrong decision for the kids.”
Mary Sullivan, Colin’s mother, said she also wished Sabina had remained in the conference. “They were one of the most sportsmanlike teams I’ve seen,” she said.
“The saddest part is what this has done to the kids,” said Marge Stumpe, whose son plays for the Holy Redeemer Raiders. “We’re not racist, naive suburbanites, but Pfleger has made the kids believe this about us. We have gone out of our way to teach our kids the right way.”
Outside St. Sabina on Saturday, 11-year-old Stephanie Janvier, a volleyball player and cheerleader for boys basketball at the school, said she was disappointed. The children in the league all seemed to get along, she said.
“I wish we could still play,” she said. “I was just having fun.”