Message from Paul LaRosa, President, LHSOA

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To all members of the LHSOA. As you know by now we have been actively pursuing a new relationship between our high school officials and the schools we service. Your Executive Committee feels very strongly that the foundation for that relationship has to be a new process, a contract process, wherein we as officials agree to provide services to our schools, under agreed-to terms via a signed contract. In recent weeks I have met with the Executive Director of the LHSAA multiple times, as well as the Executive Committee of the LHSAA, to explain and reiterate the importance of a change in the process. The response from those parties has been you need to officiate and trust we will do the right thing. Detailed in the attached letter, delivered personally to me earlier today in Baton Rouge, is detailed the latest effort to resolve this issue. Backed by the full support of the LHSOA Executive Committee, I politely, professionally but emphatically declined to accept this proposal and emphasized the importance of a new process for our officials, a process that would include a services contract. Even as I write this update to you, media coverage of this latest development is surfacing throughout the state. I want all of you to know the importance of this moment, and the importance that we stick together unified in our belief that a new, fair process must be put in place that defines the relationship between us and our schools. You have my full commitment to continue working to achieve a positive result for all of us. We know all of you want to officiate in the 2015-2016 school year but we also know that a significant majority of you want to be shown the respect that rightfully comes to professionals who do their jobs well. Please visit this website often to get updates on this very important issue affecting all of you.

Thanks,
Paul LaRosa, President

Click here to watch the full press conference on the NFHS website.