Brison Faces Eligibility Loss After Arrest : Suspension: San Fernando High track and football athlete allegedly attacked Birmingham track Coach Scott King.

Brian Brison, a standout in football and track at San Fernando High, has been suspended from school for five days after his arrest on suspicion of punching Birmingham track Coach Scott King.

Brison was arrested at Birmingham on Monday by Los Angeles Unified School District police, who took him to the West Valley Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Brison was released to his father and is scheduled to return to the West Valley Division today for questioning, according to Detective Sandy Hendricks. She said criminal charges probably will not be filed and that she will recommend diverting Brison into a probation program.

In addition, the 16-year-old sophomore who transferred to San Fernando from Alemany in January faces the permanent loss of athletic eligibility in the City Section.

“It’s open for a lot of discussion, but if he’s not expelled, we’re going to declare him permanently ineligible,” City Section Commissioner Hal Harkness said Wednesday.

The suspension from school effectively ended Brison’s track season. He ranks as one of the area’s top sprinters with times of 10.8 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.2 in the 200. He was scheduled to compete Wednesday in the Northwest Valley Conference finals at Birmingham, but the suspension rendered him ineligible. Only the top five finishers in each event at a conference final can qualify for the City preliminaries.

“I feel terrible,” Brison said. “I had a chance at a City title and I was doing good at San Fernando.”

Brison was arrested after he, his father, sprint coach Chris Richards and a group of San Fernando athletes went to Birmingham on Monday to work out at the track. Athletes from other schools often schedule practice sessions at Birmingham before conference finals but first must gain a permit.

San Fernando did not request a permit, according to Birmingham Principal Mary Farrell. San Fernando administrators did not return numerous phone calls.

When King refused to allow the San Fernando athletes to practice, an argument ensued between King and Brison’s father, James, according to the police report. Brian Brison then said, “You can’t talk to my dad like that,” and hit the Birmingham coach, according to the report.

The report stated that King, 38, was hit on the left side of his jaw with a fist, but it was unclear whether he sought medical attention. King, who attended Wednesday’s meet, declined to comment.

Brison disputes the police’s version, saying that he merely was attempting to restrain his father.

“I didn’t want them to fight, so I held my dad back,” he said. “All kinds of hands were going around. I don’t know if I hit him or my dad did. If I did, it was an accident. It was only because I was trying to stop my dad.”

James Brison, who lives in Las Vegas, has indicated that he might remove Brian from school and enroll him in a school in Nevada. Brison has attended three high schools in two years.

He enrolled at Westlake in 1988 and transferred to Alemany in mid-year. Last fall, Brison, a 5-foot-7, 180-pound running back and defensive back, had 238 yards rushing and 208 receiving.

He left Alemany after he was suspended from school because, he said, he “got into verbal conflicts with teachers.”