Boys’ basketball: View Park Prep goes to court and wins stay on playoff ban

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne B. O’Donnell granted a temporary restraining order against the CIF City Section on Thursday morning after View Park Prep went to court to challenge a playoff ban imposed on the boys’ basketball team.

By granting the stay, View Park will be permitted to participate in this season’s playoffs if selected. The seeding meeting is Saturday.

The City Section had banned View Park from this season’s playoffs as punishment for an apparent administrative error last season in which no paperwork was submitted for a transfer student who would have been eligible. The City Section has its own bylaw that gives its commissioner authority to impose a fine and playoff ban. Lawyers for View Park argued that the punishment was excessive.

A trial will be scheduled in several months and View Park could face being banned from next year’s playoffs and having to forfeit games in this season’s playoffs if it loses in a trial. But it remains to be seen if the CIF and City Section will go to trial. When discussing the bylaws, O’Donnell said to the lawyers after a discussion about confused wording, “CIF should amend its bylaws.”

View Park is 14-12 this season and a candidate to be selected for the Division I playoffs.

There could be more court challenges coming involving the CIF.

An appeal verdict will be announced shortly involving basketball player Marvin Bagley III, who transferred to Chatsworth Sierra Canyon and was denied eligibility by the CIF Southern Section because it ruled his transfer was athletically motivated. Bagley is almost certain to go to court to seek a TRO if his appeal is denied.

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