Narbonne to Appeal Basketball Sanctions

James Anderson, coach of the Harbor City Narbonne girls’ basketball team, said the school plans to appeal a decision by the City Section rules committee that stripped the Gauchos of their 4-A title and ruled three players ineligible for one year because of residence issues.

Narbonne, which also won the Division I state title, was also put on two years’ probation and ruled ineligible for the playoffs next season.

Junior Portia Mitchell and sophomore Raimi Mitchell, sisters, were suspended for a year retroactive to March 2. Sophomore Syretta Stafford was suspended for one year retroactive to Feb. 20.

Jeri Durham, administrator of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s office of operations, said Wednesday afternoon that she had not yet heard from Narbonne Principal Pat Donahoe or the parents of the suspended players. Appeals must be made by May 1, 10 school days from the date of notification of the sanctions.

Durham said that if an appeal is filed she will assemble two other administrators to form a review committee.

“We’ll review materials provided to us by the rules committee and ask [Narbonne] to bring us any other materials they may need to present their case,” she said. “We will ask for clarification and review whatever additional information is present.

“[The committee] will deliberate and make a decision, either to uphold the rules committee decision, modify it or rescind it totally.

“If they [Narbonne] don’t agree with our decision and want to appeal, they have to go to the state [California Interscholastic Federation].”

*

A seminar designed to help athletes prepare for the Scholastic Assessment Test and college admission is scheduled for Saturday morning in the Science Hall at USC.

Co-sponsored by the National Alliance of African American Athletes, Kaplan Educational Centers and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the “SAT Pre-Game Clinic” includes an SAT practice test, computerized analysis and feedback about the results and advice on test-taking strategies from Kaplan staff members.

Registration fee is $1.

Details: (213) 764-1239.