There is growing criticism of the Los Angeles Unified School District and North District for canceling all sports activities on Wednesday after smoke was seen from the school. Hughes shot Due to concerns about air quality when not all areas were affected.
In fact, private schools Crespi in Encino, Chaminade in West Hills, and Harvard-Westlake in Studio City held basketball games, and some even held football games.
Birmingham, a charter school in Lake Balboa, wanted to play football and basketball games but Cleveland had to withdraw under LAUSD orders. A freshman basketball game was initiated when Cleveland athletic director Greg Wenger called to tell him, “We’re not allowed to play,” Birmingham athletic director Rick Prizant said.
“It was beautiful outside,” Prizant said. “There was no problem. What LAUSD did was increase the potential for injuries because we’re forced to play a lot of games in a short period of time.”
Sylmar basketball coach Porte Escoto said the San Fernando bus arrived Wednesday when he was told the game had been cancelled. He said he did not smell smoke outside.
Schools are already having to make up LAUSD games to cancel events from the Palisades fires. The City Section extended the regular season in basketball and football by a week before the start of the playoffs.
As of Thursday morning, the Upstate was still operating under an inclement weather schedule that limits indoor and outdoor activities.
