Court Denies Petition to Reinstate Suspended Laguna Hills Athlete

An Orange County Superior Court judge on Friday denied a petition from a high school soccer player seeking reinstatement after being suspended from his team for violating the school’s policy on alcoholic beverages.

In a written ruling released Thursday, Superior Court Judge Harmon C. Scoville denied a petition from Matthew J. Richards, 18, a senior at Laguna Hills High School, that would have forced the Saddleback Valley Unified School District to reinstate Richards on the school soccer team.

Laguna Hills is an SVUSD school. The district, school Principal Anthony Ferruzzo and Superintendent of Schools Peter Hartman had been named as respondents in Richards’ petition.

Richards, represented by his father, attorney Edwin J. Richards, had been seeking a court order since December to reverse the high school’s decision to remove him from the soccer team for attending a Laguna Hills football game while having beer on his breath. The School Athletic Code forbids the use of alcohol by athletes.

Richards’ petition had sought to overturn the suspension in part because the District Expulsion Board earlier had found no cause to expel the student-athlete from school permanently, although he was given a five-day suspension.

Edwin Richards also argued that the School Athletic Code concerning the use of alcohol was unconstitutional and too broad.

In denying the petition, Scoville wrote, in part, that, “. . . petitioner has failed to demonstrate that the District Expulsion Board Hearing precludes School Athletic Boards from imposing penalties which relate to activities which are privileges and not rights.

“Further, petitioner’s argument that the School Athletic Code is vague and overbroad is without merit. . . .”

Said the elder Richards: “We have the option to appeal this (in local appeals court) or refile the case in Federal Court. We’ll probably do one or the other by Monday.

“It’s hard to believe that all of this has happened because he had beer on his breath.”

Regardless of appeals, Richards conceded that his son’s interscholastic soccer career is probably over, given the time that such appeals can take, as well as the fact that the Laguna Hills soccer team has only about one month remaining in the season.

Matthew Richards had been team captain before his suspension and has represented the United States in games played in Europe.

“What he’ll be now is a (college) walk-on who will have to explain why he didn’t play his senior year,” Edwin Richards said.