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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 60
BY SENATOR CLAITOR AND REPRESENTATIVE GREENE
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend and congratulate Clement Mubungirwa on his amazing accomplishments and
recognize his achievements and to urge and request the Louisiana High School
Athletic Association to grant a hardship or waive its age eligibility requirements to
allow Clement Mubungirwa to participate in LHSAA sports programs in the
2014-2015 school year.
WHEREAS, Clement Mubungirwa and his family, which consisted of his widowed
single mother, Masika Kaniki, and her seven children arrived in the United States in 2007
as a refugee family from Uganda sponsored by Catholic Charities, with little more than the
clothes on their backs; and
WHEREAS, the family had endured years of horrific atrocities at the hands of the
rebel forces terrorizing their homeland and Masika's husband and other family members
were brutally murdered; and
WHEREAS, Clement bravely escaped with his family, on foot in the dark of night,
traveling many miles to the limited safety of various camps where refugees faced deplorable
conditions and malnutrition; and
WHEREAS, shortly after being granted political asylum, the family immigrated to
the United States and arrived in Baton Rouge with no English language skills; and
WHEREAS, in January 2008, the school-age children were placed in public schools
in East Baton Rouge Parish in grades consistent with their chronological ages so Clement,
then age twelve, was placed in the seventh grade; and
WHEREAS, Clement's education assessment revealed that he had received little to
no formal education, did not speak English, received little or no math and reading training,
and had the equivalent of a first grade education; and SCR NO. 60 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, as Clement began to interact with other students and new friends, he
became better equipped to communicate the difficulties he experienced in the classroom
setting where he was teased and bullied by some classmates and he felt overwhelmed by all
the amount and difficulty of schoolwork assignments he was expected to complete; and
WHEREAS, in the fall of 2008, Clement attended a Catholic elementary school,
where pre-admission evaluation showed that while he was very intelligent, he lagged behind
his grade level academically, so he was again placed in the seventh grade, which he
successfully completed as well as the eighth grade, working tirelessly to catch up with his
classmates, all the while exhibiting an amazing attitude and aptitude for learning; and
WHEREAS, in the fall of 2010, he was admitted to Episcopal High School where
another round of pre-admission testing ensued and Clement repeated the eighth grade to
further strengthen his academic skills; and
WHEREAS, Clement worked tirelessly in the classroom and after school to maintain
his grades and during that time he was introduced to the sport of football, exhibited
promising athletic skills, and began to participate in that school's sports program; and
WHEREAS, in the fall of 2014, Clement will enter his senior year at Episcopal High
School and will also become nineteen years of age on July 7, and according to the tenets of
the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA), will be ineligible to participate
due to age parameters; and
WHEREAS, the LHSAA administers sports programs for public and private schools
throughout the state and establishes eligibility requirements for student participation in such
programs; and
WHEREAS, LHSAA's basic guidelines for age eligibility provide that a student
cannot become nineteen years of age prior to September first of the current school year; and
WHEREAS, according to the LHSAA guidelines, Clement is ineligible because of
his age; and
WHEREAS, the association's rules also provide a procedure that if a student-athlete
is found ineligible under the LHSAA's basic eligibility requirements, a hardship can be
granted; and
WHEREAS, the amazing life of Clement Mubungirwa to journey from Uganda as SCR NO. 60 ENROLLED
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a child to a junior in high school in Louisiana warrants consideration and supports a
favorable decision from the LHSAA to allow him to participate in sports in his senior year.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend and congratulate Clement Mubungirwa for his amazing accomplishments and
recognize his academic and athletic achievements.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana High School Athletic Association
is hereby urged and requested to grant a hardship exception or waive its age eligibility
requirements to allow Clement Mubungirwa to participate in LHSAA's sports programs in
his senior year, 2014-2015.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Clement Mubungirwa, the executive director of the Louisiana High School Athletic
Association, and the principal of Episcopal High School.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES