Who or What is this Secret Society Called NIAA in the Clark County School System?

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By Steve Sanson

A frustrated parent? A United States Marine? To better understand this story let me introduce you to United States Marine Reservist Major David Hensey a graduate of the University Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV).

Major Hensey was activated in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2003-January 2004. In the civilian world Major Hensey is an Independent Insurance broker, specializing in conservative nontraditional retirement plans. Major Hensey has his children in the Clark County School System and he is fed up with the hypocrisy and politics within Clark County School System. This is the interview of Major David Hensey USMC:

Imagine being told your children were banned from high school sports for two years based upon a rule that no one told you about?

Major Hensey has often believed that if a child misbehaves, disrespects/insults authority at school or breaks the law, they should be punished accordingly. But what if the parent(s) break the rules, should the child suffer and be punished by the authorities?

In most cases they should not but this is not the case according to the Nevada sanctioned secret society called the Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association, better known as the NIAA. If you are like me or most people, you have no idea what or who the heck the NIAA is.

I encourage you to become aware of this organization and their rules, especially if your child will be involved in sports of any kind at a public school. Do not be like Major Hensey and violate their sacred rule, because if you do, you do not have to worry about being punished, but your children will.

The NIAA immediately will destroy two years of your child's ability to play sports, no ifs, ands or butts. You or your child would be better off gang beating a kid as in the case of the 311 boys or attempting to set fire to the modular of a religious school. You see, in those cases, your child can at least play sports until they are arrested or sent to jail, but if it is a first offense, they most likely will get a slap on the wrist and then be released to play sports.

If they are caught using drugs and they are a first or second time user, they may have their hand slapped, miss a few games, but be allowed to play very shortly. But not with the secret society, you as the parent violate a rule that you have no idea exist; your children LOSE the right to play for 360 school days (two full school years).

Brief background: in 2003 Major Hensey daughter Angela, his first born, was entering high school. Major Hensey was activated as a Marine Reservist and had just recently returned from a tour in Iraq; however, he was stationed in Camp Pendleton for several months thereafter. Major Hensey decided that he would apply for a zone variance (ZV) so that Angela could attend a brand new school that was opening in the fall of 2003. Major Hensey did not feel safe with Angela attending the high school in their area.

Major Hensey was granted the variance the first year. Well, in the fall of 2004 Major Hensey's second child would be attending high school, therefore, he applied for another ZV for both of his daughter Angela and Gabrielle, and they were approved. Major Hensey was also granted a ZV for his 7th grade daughter, Elisha to attend the middle school in the same area as her older sister's high school. Up until this time either his wife or himself would drop the children off and pick them up at the end of the day since their house was over ten miles away.

Upon the third year their Grandmother purchased a home immediately across the street from Shadow Ridge High School. Major Hensey decided to forego applying for a Zone Variance (ZV) and use Grandmothers address since his children would be spending endless hours before and after school there.

Unfortunately, Major Hensey committed anathema! Anathema is a biblical term for curse. That decision was the start of how he cursed his children and why they are presently banned from a game they love for TWO full years. There was no intent to build a basketball dynasty, but that doesn't matter to the secret society of the NIAA.

The fact that his children do not have a discipline issue or any other violations at school does not matter on deciding on an appropriate form of punishment. Other than that, there was no reason for him to believe that he would not continue to be granted a ZV, but he thought that it made more sense to use their Grandmothers home address since they would be going over there before and after school.

Major Hensey's children's friend's would even go to their Grandmothers house after school and wait for their parents to pick them up after basketball practice. The third year there was no problem and his daughter's Angela, now a junior, and Gabrielle, now a sophomore walked back and forth to school from that address (across the street from Shadow Ridge) 5 days per week.

His daughter Elisha would walk or catch a ride from a parent at Saville Middle School to their Grandmother's house daily. Their children would go to their Grandmothers house and hang out in the summer as well, because their friends from school lived in that area.

Major Hensey's daughter Angela played basketball and ran track with no questions asked. Also, note for future reference, Angela played sports, track and basketball for three years. Angela really started excelling in the track and field games.

We are now into the forth year, the year that will live in infamy in the Hensey household. The year the Hensey's became criminals and their children treated worse than a second time drug user or unrepentant gang banger and worse than a gang of boys that beat a kid senseless (that's O.K. as long as they attend the school in their zone).

Here we go! Major Hensey's two older daughters are enrolled and registered at Shadow Ridge; his daughter Elisha is enrolled and registered at Shadow Ridge. Fast forward to basketball season. Elisha, freshman, makes the varsity squad. She not only makes the varsity squad, she starts. She not only starts, she becomes the leading scorer on the varsity squad as a freshman and Shadow Ridge Girls Basketball Team start "kicking butt and taking names." Both daughters as well as the other great players on the team are published regularly in the paper and they are beating teams by 20 points or more.

Unfortunately, they get noticed and a parent at Centennial complained to a Centennial School Official and the life of hell starts. On December 12th, Elisha's 15th birthday, game day, Elisha was called to the Assistant Principals office. The question, "do you live at 8724 ________ or do you live with your parents at the house zoned for Mojave?" What is a young 15 year old to do? Well, she told them that she lived with Mom and Dad.


To make a long story short, they were found guilty of CIRCUMVENTING the system. The Director of Athletics, Mr. Mathis, did not bother to interview the parents before deciding the punishment, a two year ban from sports. If he bothered to investigate, he would have discovered that Major Hensey's children have attended Shadow Ridge since they opened the doors in 2003 and that his kids are not recent transfers with a goal to stack the team.

What is this? The Major is in the process of fighting what he considers to be a corrupt system. The NIAA has too much power and very little oversight. Before, banning any children from sports at school, especially for two years (that is half of their high school years and a lifetime to a young person).

I believe that an elected official, such as a School Board Trustee should review the case given the authority to approve, lessen, or disapprove the punishment. The punishment does not fit the crime, especially when you do not take into consideration the past history of the student.

Major Hensey daughter's Angela is in her forth year, Gabrielle is in her third year and little Elisha simply wanted to go to the same school as her sisters. Shadow Ridge now is treating his children as if they contracted some deadly disease and wants to send all three sisters packing to Mojave as soon as the semester ends.

The Principal is not looking at the history or taking into consideration the fact that Major Hensey's daughter Angela has been attending Shadow Ridge for four years with only six months to go before graduation.

Unfortunately, the Majors children are not the only children that have suffered. There are very talented children across this valley that is banned from sports and their shot at a college scholarship most likely ruined.

I wonder can the NIAA be sued for damages. Is there a more equitable solution to administering justice vice using the cookie cutter two year sanctions from sports? What about suspending the children from several games and/or forfeiting past games? What about giving the parents an opportunity to rectify the situation? Or how about the more logical and ethical way and continuing the variance so a young child can continue to advance, play sports, excel and graduate from the only high school she has known, now how hard would that be? I guess that would just be too ethical and sane.

Chuck Hildebrand of www.Nevadaprep.com has several ideas to reign in this organization. The Executive Director at a minimum should be appointed by the Governor; this would immediately cause the organization to rethink their Gestapo ways. For goodness sake these are young lives that are being affected not criminals!!

When Major Hensey joined the United States Marine Corps, it was not to fight for the rights of an organization that loosely doles out punishment that have far reaching and negative ramifications on his or anyone's children. This organization was created in 1973 and it is high time that the charter be reviewed and changes made.

The first level of appeal for his case started on January 3rd. In addition, 2007 will be the year that the Major David Hensey would like the spotlight to shine its light on the unjust ego driven authoritative system that run this secret society. Needless to say, Major Hensey is very angry and every parent that has children in the Clark County School System should be enraged that this could be your children.

Perhaps the Clark County School District can save money by eliminating this organization and invest the money into the educational side of the equation and move our school system from 49th to the top 10 in the Nation. It is just a thought, let's get our priorities straight. Major David Hensey's Contact information (702) 524-4367.

Semper Fi!!!

E-mail: SteveWSanson@cs.com
Website: www.VeteransInPolitcis.com
702 283 8088