Court Rules in Favor of Canyon’s Welch

The California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section suffered another defeat Friday in its continuing battle with Harry Welch, football coach at Canyon Country Canyon High.

The Southern Section was denied a request to modify the preliminary injunction in its case against Welch and was ordered to pay sanctions to Welch and the William S. Hart School District in Newhall.

In issuing his decision in Lancaster Superior Court, Judge Haig Kehiayan rebuked the section’s motion, calling it “frivolous and in bad faith.” Kehiayan ordered the CIF, the Southern Section, Southern Section Commissioner Stan Thomas and the law firm of Patterson and Miller--the section’s legal counsel--to pay $5,290 to Welch and $1,350 to the school district.

The parties have 15 days to pay.

Thomas did not attend the hearing and had no knowledge of the decision when reached for comment.

Kehiayan, who issued the preliminary injunction in August, 1991, imposed the sanctions as a deterrent against the Southern Section’s bringing further such motions until the appeal is heard by the 2nd District Court of Appeal, according to Steve Tully, Welch’s lawyer.

Welch’s problems with the Southern Section began in June, 1991, when he was suspended for a year by the Southern Section’s executive committee as the result of an investigation into rules violations in the Canyon football program.

Welch received a temporary restraining order in July of ‘91, allowing him to return to coaching, and filed a lawsuit against the Southern Section.

Kehiayan then issued the preliminary injunction allowing Welch to coach until his suit is settled.