The postseason destiny of Bishop Fenwick’s scholar athletes is now as much as Essex Superior Court Judge Janice Howe.
On Monday, Howe presided over an emergency listening to as Bishop Fenwick pursues an injunction in opposition to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s ruling that the college is barred from taking part in any postseason actions for the 2023-24 tutorial 12 months. The MIAA enforced the punishment because of what it deemed Bishop Fenwick’s negligence in permitting ineligible student-athletes to take part and ensuing lack of accountability.
Bishop Fenwick allegedly used varsity baseball gamers whose fifth-year waiver purposes contained misinformation and in addition used St. Mary’s center college as a feeder system for its varsity groups.
While as of Monday night Howe was but to go judgment, one is anticipated in brief order. The timing is essential because the MIAA fall state match will probably be underway throughout all sports activities inside two weeks. Until this time the MIAA has dealt with Bishop Fenwick like an out-of-state crew because it pertains to the facility rankings. They don’t seem in any up to date standings however depend in the direction of an opponent’s crew’s rankings. If the court docket had been to rule in Bishop Fenwick’s favor, this is able to change, doubtlessly altering the postseason fortunes for quite a few groups.
Bishop Fenwick’s authorized counsel took goal at its lack of participation with the inclusion of 4 women volleyball gamers at Monday’s listening to.
Bishop Fenwick has made the case each within the lead-up to the hearings and Monday that the MIAA’s judgment is, “void for lack of due process.” The college has argued that the affiliation’s ruling is inconsistent and arbitrary as regards to its previous dealing with of comparable conditions. Its lawyer, Leo Fama, pointed to a 2012 scenario with the Gardner swim crew by which the MIAA initially prevented the college from taking part in winter state tournaments for utilizing ineligible gamers earlier than finally altering its thoughts.
In the autumn of 2021, Sutton’s women soccer crew was deemed to have used ineligible student-athletes halfway by means of the state match however was allowed to maintain enjoying so long as these student-athletes now not took the sphere.
The MIAA, nonetheless, has acknowledged on quite a few events, together with in affidavits submitted previous to Monday’s listening to, that Bishop Fenwick continues to lack accountability for its actions. MIAA govt director Bob Baldwin wrote that Bishop Fenwick tried to distance itself from the varsity baseball participant’s waiver course of, “placing the blame solely on (the student-athlete) and his family and the-then athletic director.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com