Oak Park Basketball Player Loses Bid to Gain Eligibility

An Oak Park High basketball player’s quest to win his athletic eligibility apparently ended Friday when a Ventura County Superior Court judge denied his request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed him to play, the player’s attorney said.

Richard Chavez, a senior forward, might appeal the decision to the 2nd District Court of Appeal, according to his attorney, Michael Silver of Westlake Village. But the basketball season would be finished before a ruling could be handed down.

Chavez, a first-team All-Tri-Valley League selection last season, was ruled ineligible by the Southern Section because he had used up his 8 semesters of eligibility. Chavez dropped out of Agoura High during his sophomore year to undergo treatment for drug and alcohol abuse.

When he re-enrolled at Oak Park after a change of address, he did not have the necessary credits to enroll as a junior and was forced to repeat 10th grade.

In the 5-minute hearing, the Southern Section cited as precedent the 1988 case of Demetrius Jones, a Calabasas High football player who sought an extension of the 8-semester rule but also was turned down by the courts.