San Francisco's Lincoln High Fights Forced Forfeit Of Basketball Playoff Game Over Coronavirus Fears

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The boys basketball team at San Francisco's Lincoln High is appealing a decision by the school district to suspend all school activities because of the coronavirus spread, and forcing it to forfeit its semifinal game Tuesday and a chance at a state title.

In a letter to San Francisco Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Bill Sanderson, Lincoln head coach Carl Jacobs said the high school "doesn't fall under the same umbrella as other SFUSD school sites."

For example, Lowell High School was closed last week when school officials learned the parent of a student was being treated for coronavirus.

Also last week, the private Menlo School in Atherton forfeited its Division 1 girls basketball quarterfinal game after all activities were canceled over a staff member having contact with a coronavirus patient.

Monday, Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco forfeited its basketball semifinal playoff game against 4th-seeded De La Salle because of canceled activities following word a student's parents tested positive.

The Lincoln Mustangs are the 2nd seed in the Division 4 bracket and a win over Stockton's Brookside Christian would've put them in the State Final on Friday.

"If our situation was like that of other schools where people within that community tested positive, I would be the first to say we definitely have to take precautionary measures to protect everyone," said Jacobs in his letter. "But seeing that we are nowhere near that situation, I feel that we can look at alternative ways to make this happen for the Abraham Lincoln Boys Basketball team as they represent the entire city of San Francisco and public schools throughout."

In:
• Coronavirus
• San Francisco