Iti May Be Allowed to Finish the School Year at Villa Park
A 6-foot-11 basketball player who withdrew from classes at Villa Park High a week ago at the direction of his mother may be able to finish the school year.
The attorney representing the local guardian of Martin Iti, a 17-year-old sophomore, said Thursday he had reached a tentative agreement with an attorney representing the Orange Unified School District that would allow a teacher to instruct Iti for five hours a day at Iti’s residence in Orange.
The arrangement would allow Iti to become a junior academically.
Also under the agreement, Iti would be allowed to practice with the Villa Park basketball team.
The agreement is expected to be finalized today, said Ronald E. Lais, the Anaheim Hills attorney representing Courtney Rosegreen, Iti’s guardian.
Iti is caught in a custody dispute between his mother in Australia, who wants the boy to return home so she can assess his future, and Rosegreen.
As expected, Lais on Thursday filed a petition on behalf of Rosegreen in Orange County Superior Court seeking to allow his client to keep custody of Iti. A first hearing was scheduled for July 17.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
