Owasso Schools Loses Petition with Oklahoma Supreme Court, Must Turn Over Ator Field

The Owasso School district has lost its football field in a court case. The battle went all the way up to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Joshua Brakhage says Owasso has been

Thursday, September 28th 2006, 10:20 am

By: News On 6

The Owasso School district has lost its football field in a court case. The battle went all the way up to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

News on 6 reporter Joshua Brakhage says Owasso has been playing football on Ator Field for half-a-century. The district built a new, bigger stadium back in the 1990s and just used the old field for practice and elementary games.

Now the family that gave the land to the school wants it back. They said the land was given, only on the condition high school games would be played on Ator Field near 86th Street North and Main in Owasso.

School administrators say they thought the land was theirs as long as it was being used for Owasso football. The courts don't agree. A district court ruled Owasso has to give up the land and pay to tear down the stadium lights, bleachers, and parking lot.

Attorney Gary Eaton: "And they just basically abandoned this property for lesser uses and so Mr. Ator concluded that it was appropriate to seek return of that property to his family."

Owasso School superintendent Dr. Clark Ogilvie: "It has the potential to have an almost devastating impact on us from a curriculum standpoint."

Dr Clark Ogilvie says hundreds of kids use the land for PE class every day. Both sides say they've had enough fighting.