National Mock Trial Championship Changes Rules To Allow Religious Accommodation

After extensive controversy both in 2007 and last year, the National High School Mock Trial Championship has changed its rules to permit teams to request schedule adjustments for religious reasons. The new Policy on Competition Schedule Accommodation for Religious Reasons applies when arguments scheduled for Friday or Saturday conflict with "firmly held religious beliefs and practices of any of the members of a registered team’s official competition roster." The first round for any accommodate team will be held on Thursday evening before the official Friday/Saturday schedule begins. The policy warns that: "All competing teams should be aware that 'modified schedule rounds' may impact to some degree the accuracy of the final rankings of teams participating in the competition." JTA yesterday reported on the change that was announced last week by the Mock Trial Championship organizers. [Thanks to Jack E. Shattuck for the lead.]