Filed Date: Feb. 4, 2026
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding in progress
[This summary is ongoing while we research the case]
On February 4, 2026, the State of Missouri and Merlyn Johnson, Superintendent of Cassville R-IV School District, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The plaintiffs alleged that MSHSAA violated federal anti-discrimination laws by rejecting Dr. Johnson's nomination for an at-large board position solely because he is a white male. MSHSAA's Constitution requires that two at-large board positions "shall be filled by a candidate representing the under-represented gender of the current Board, or an under-represented ethnicity," and the organization's executive director told Dr. Johnson he was "not eligible to be a candidate" due to his race and sex. The lawsuit includes four causes of action alleging unlawful race and sex discrimination under the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1983, Title VII, and Section 1981⁻. The plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief prohibiting race and sex-based candidate disqualification, nominal damages, and attorneys' fees⁻.
This case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Jinan Abufarha (4/12/2026)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72233140/parties/state-of-missouri-ex-rel-hanaway-v-missouri-state-high-school-activities/
Mensah, Shirley P. (Missouri)
Capozzi, Louis Joseph (Missouri)
Miller, Graham (Missouri)
Seidleck, William James (Missouri)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72233140/state-of-missouri-ex-rel-hanaway-v-missouri-state-high-school-activities/
Last updated April 13, 2026, 3:06 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Litigation and Investigations By the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: Feb. 4, 2026
Case Ongoing: Yes
Case Details
Other Dockets:
Eastern District of Missouri 4:26-cv-00171
Available Documents:
Case Summary of State of Missouri ex rel Hanaway v. Missouri State High School Activities Association, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48077/ (last updated 4/12/2026).