Judge urges CIF, 4 schools to come up with solution to lawsuits

After a nearly one-hour hearing on a motion by the CIF Southern Section to dismiss three lawsuits filed by four private high schools trying to prevent their move to a new geographical area for sports competition, U.S. District Court Judge Josephine Staton Tucker declined to issue an immediate ruling on Friday but urged both sides to come up with a solution.

“I wonder if there’s been a true attempt to solve this,” Tucker said. “This case, to me, cries out to have an attempt at early resolution, because the lives of these kids are at stake.”

Ventura St. Bonaventure, Westlake Village Oaks Christian, LaVerne Damien and Glendora St. Lucy’s filed federal lawsuits last June seeking to reverse a Southern Section decision to move the schools into the parochial area for sports competition. The schools alleged religious discrimination among their legal arguments.

The hearing, held in Santa Ana, featured seven attorneys, with four representing the schools and three representing the CIF and Southern Section. Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod, a defendent in the action, was in the audience.

Tucker indicated she won’t issue a final ruling for at least a week.

Afterward, the attorneys got together for a discussion. Whether there will be an attempt to settle the lawsuits remains uncertain. New leagues have already been formed and are supposed to take effect for the 2014-15 sports season.

Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com