The Chicago Public League canceled lower-level football games on Monday and Tuesday amid a pay dispute with officials, but said Week 7 varsity games were expected to be played as scheduled.
A source confirmed the cancellations to the Southwest News-Herald on Wednesday afternoon and said lower-level games were still scheduled for that night.
Game Time Officials Association director Mike Outten said earlier this week that officials had not been paid for games worked in Weeks 4-6. Those payments were the responsibility of the Public League’s Office of Sports Administration, while payments for games involving Public League teams in Weeks 1-3 were handled by host schools.
The source said payments were being issued on Wednesday afternoon, which Outten confirmed.
“We’re trying to verify which officials are still missing payments,” Outten said. “Hopefully things are moving in the right direction.”
CPS released a statement on Wednesday afternoon:
“Chicago Public Schools (CPS) worked with the vendor that manages payments to referees and expedited efforts this morning to ensure immediate compensation for a portion of sports officials who referee CPS games and were not paid in a timely manner. The District is working with all partners to strengthen the compensation process and ensure it is consistent going forward.”
Week 7 Public League varsity play is scheduled to start Thursday with 10 games, including one involving a local team: Curie vs. Urban Prep at 7:30 p.m. at Rockne Stadium.
Outten said officials don’t want varsity games to be canceled.
“We’ve always been hopeful (for a resolution),” he said. “That wasn’t our intent for kids to miss out on games.
“But we’re fighting for the livelihood of our officials. For some people, this is their livelihood.”
On Wednesday morning, Illinois State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-26th), who played college football at Illinois, released an open letter to CPS superintendent/CEO Dr. Macquline King, CPS executive director of sports administration Devon Morales and Board of Education president Sean Harden calling for officials to be paid before any more events are canceled.
“Interscholastic athletics are not an extracurricular afterthought,” Buckner wrote. “They are an important part of the educational experience we promise our young people. … When we allow games to be (canceled) or jeopardized because the adults responsible for officiating them have not been paid, our students ultimately bear the consequences.
“A young person who has practiced all week should not arrive at game day and discover there is no contest because an official who worked weeks earlier is still waiting to be compensated.”
IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said the association was monitoring developments.
“We expect the situation will be remedied expeditiously so our officials are justly compensated for their work, and student-athletes do not have to miss out on any participation opportunities,” Anderson said in a statement. “We are ready and willing to be a resource in any way we can to help resolve this matter.”