1. There are issues with members of the committee not being present or more importantly not being aware that a vote was being held on the issue of trials standards.
2. There are issues, accessibility, with the meeting being in Hawaii. Having a meeting in Hawaii, is not exactly operating in the figurative sunshine when you are an IN state actor.
3. Do changes like this have to be discussed publically? In Indiana, a state actor, which USATF may not be presently- but there are strong argument that it should be like the IHSAA. Courts have classified the NCAA has not a state actor and that is what USATF is relying on- but that is not legally supported or set in stone. Anyhow, a public governing body has to have all of it's meetings in the "sunshine" meaning open to the public and they must consider and hear public comment- neither of which happened in this case. Also USATF has a history of not following its own rules, with athlete admission to meets, with Sandra Farmer Patrick holding a position she is clearly not qualified for (she has not represented the US internationally in the last 8 years)etc. (I keep a list) - there are plenty of grounds to seek a state court injunction on. Whether or not a violation of the IN sunshine laws has occurred is going to take further research, but there are plenty of other legal issues at USATF headquarters that present bargaining leverage.
4. What this comes down to is is USATF more like a state high school athletic association or like the NCAA? If they are a like the former, then this rule change is legally void and USATF would have to have hearing and have the vote in public, etc. If not then our best chance is in the press.
Making the standard 218 does nothing to promote US distance running. What is does is 1. allow the talent less (Glen Latimer et. all) to continue to judge who is and is not talented. 2. Allows Nike and other big shoe companies to ensure that the trials are full of mostly their runners. 3. Protects athletes chosen by USATF while crushing the hopes of those of us who were not stars coming right out of high school.