My two cents...after all these posts, the attacks, the name calling, and the reasoning. I think it boils down to decisions that have unfortunate consequences. A decision to not allow competetors to compete based upon religious reasons was made. Agree or disagree, does not matter. This decision should have effected only the people at those institutuions. People agree by their membership, to abide by those decisions and possible consequences. You don't like it ....leave, but if you stay you are agreeing to follow the directives.
Unfortunatly it seems no one at those institutions like the decision mandated to them (boys can't wrestle girls) and the consequenses (forfeit the match, or get suspended, get your Coach fired......). This should have been their problem. But rather than suffer, from this self inflicted consequence. Another decision was made, with help from KSHSAA? According to some, Adults in charge,both inside the institutions and outside looked to circumvent this Self Inflicted situation. Another decision, a calculated, well thouhght out use the rules, to forfeit and avoid the mandate and consequences. A great idea if it only effects you..... but this was not the case. By choosing this path people outside these institutions were negativly impacted. That is where this takes a dark path.
Make no mistake, I feel for all the kids involved, none of them wanted this. They were manipulated just as the competition, the bracket and, results were. That is why this has caused such a divided and strong response.
This should have been handled in their house. Instead, a decision was made that shifted their problems to others, and all of this was done by Adults of strong faith and conviction. This is the part that is really difficult to stomach. I would hope put in the same situation I would have the courage to do the right thing, whatever that is.
I don't really have an answer, but as time goes by I would hope the Adults involved, be it a Parent, a Coach, an AD, a KSHSAA official.......or even a Bishop, will really look at their decisions, their actions and those consequences, to others.
Nothing was manipulated. The National Rules were followed as stated in the book. This is NOT the first time this has happened in the U.S. No one was given special treatment or accomodated. If the rules were not written the way they are then the results would have been different but this was NOT the case.