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Brison Banned From City Play for One Year : Ruling: Committee decides fate of sophomore who punched Birmingham track coach.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Brian Brison, formerly of San Fernando High, has been banned from athletic competition in the City Section for one year stemming from his arrest for punching Birmingham High track Coach Scott King.

The rules committee of the section’s Interscholastic Athletics Committee rendered the decision after a hearing Monday. The committee had interviewed Brison on May 17 and heard testimony from King and San Fernando assistant coach Chris Richards on Monday.

The ban is retroactive to April 30, the date of Brison’s arrest. Brison, 16, a sophomore who plays football and runs track, has been suspended from San Fernando since the arrest. He is attending Jane Addams continuation school in Granada Hills.

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Los Angeles police referred his case to juvenile authorities, who have placed him on six months’ probation.

Although the City ban does not officially carry over to other sections in the state, a Southern Section administrator indicated Tuesday that his section probably would honor the penalty.

“There is no precedent . . . but in my opinion, the Southern Section would continue to hold him accountable,” said the administrator, who asked that his name not be used. “Our executive committee would have to review the case, but I’d be surprised if (Brison) would be eligible.”

Brison, who previously had attended Westlake and Alemany highs, took the news hard, saying that he regrets hitting King but is disappointed by the ruling.

“I flew off the handle. I admit that, but I don’t feel I should lose a year of eligibility,” he said. “Football is going to be my future. I want to use football to get a college scholarship. That’s my dream. This is putting the hurt on that.”

Brison admits that he has trouble controlling his temper but says he has worked to improve that flaw.

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He was arrested after his father, James, who lives in Las Vegas, accompanied him and a group of San Fernando athletes to the Birmingham track April 30. Because the San Fernando contingent failed to request permission to use the track, King asked them to leave, prompting an argument with James Brison. The younger Brison then punched King, according to the police report.

The City, which considered a permanent revocation of Brison’s eligibility, chose the less-severe punishment because the committee was impressed with Brison’s contrition, according to City Section Commissioner Hal Harkness.

“Brian appears to have a lot going for him,” Harkness said. “This was essentially a disagreement between his father and other adults. The incident was agitated by his father and, unfortunately, Brian was emotionally dragged into it.”

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