By John Beauge | Special to PennLive
WILLIAMSPORT-The controversy over the way Little League International has ousted teams from regional tournaments because of COVID-19 positive tests has reached the courts.
Two of those teams – Needville, Texas, and Tusla, Okla., – Friday asked a Lycoming County judge to issue a temporary restraining that would reinstate them and allow them to play in the world series that begins Thursday.
The two leagues contend if their 11- and 12-year olds are not permitted to play in the series, they “will be forever denied this once-in–a-lifetime opportunity to compete on the world stage.”
Accommodating 18 teams instead of 16 would result in a minimum change in the series structure, the suit claims. The series is to go to 20 teams next year.
Little League says it strongly disagrees with the legal action that could delay the start of the series and will vigorously defend itself.
It understands how disappointing and emotional the situation to remove a team for a positive COVID-19 test is for everyone, however, it says its main focus remains on taking precaution to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and/or any of its variants.
Needville and Tulsa were ousted from the Southwest Region tournament in Waco, Texas, after a coach of each was advised he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Mike Park of Needville and Sam Treat of Tulsa contend they were victims of a false positive. Both cite the negative results of tests they took on their own.
Treat claims he was notified of the positive result at 11 a.m. on Aug. 6 and within an hour was administered a medically-supervised test in an emergency room with the results being negative.
He says he notified Little League at 2 p.m. of the negative results and got it “didn’t matter” response from Little League.
Park, who is unvaccinated, says is confident it was a false positive because of the negative results of other tests he got Aug. 6 including one in a clinic.
