UPDATE: It has been reported by multiple news outlets that the player involved in this lawsuit was added to the Hinsdale South varsity basketball team on Nov. 28. However, the lawsuit has not been withdrawn or dismissed.
The mother of a Hinsdale South High School basketball player who was cut from the team has headed to court to force the school to reinstate her son to the varsity team and give him playing time, because she says the school allowed the current head coach to cut the boy from the team in retaliation for complaints filed by her son against the prior head coach, which led to that coach's demotion.
Steven E. Glink
| educationrights.com
The complaint identifies the mother only as E.S., and the boy as B.S., both of suburban Darien. However, in a report about the lawsuit published first by the Chicago Sun-Times, the mother is identifed as Erin Savage, and the player is identifed as Brendan Savage.
According to the complaint, Brendan had earned high honors on the court in prior seasons. The complaint notes that Brendan was named to the All-Conference team as a sophomore and junior.
However, the complaint alleges a new head coach did not allow Savage to make the varsity team for his senior season.
According to the complaint, that move amounted to illegal retaliation against Savage for a complaint he had filed against former Hinsdale South head boys basketball coach Michael Moretti.
That complaint alleged Moretti had verbally abused, harassed and bullied his players, allegedly in violation of Hinsdale South school and district policies prohibiting such alleged bullying and harassment of students by teachers, coaches and other school personnel.
The complaint was filed in May 2023, launching an investigation against Moretti.
A month later, officials from Hinsdale Township High School District 86 substantiated the allegations in Savage's complaint. The district then removed Moretti as head varsity basketball coach and demoted him to head coach of the boys freshman basketball team instead.
Hinsdale South then installed Michael Belcaster as head varsity boys basketball coach. According Savage's lawsuit, Belcaster was a "close personal friend" of Moretti's.
According to the lawsuit, as the new high school basketball season began this fall, Belcaster refused to name Savage to the varsity roster, appearing to claim the former All-Conference standout was no longer good enough to play on the Hinsdale South basketball team.
According to the complaint, the Savages appealed the roster decision to Hinsdale school officials, who "rejected/denied" them.
Erin Savage then filed suit, claiming Belcaster's action against her son amounted to punishment against her son for exercising his First Amendment rights to speak out against his former coach for allegedly violating school policies.
Further, the lawsuit accuses Hinsdale South and DIstrict 86 officials of also violating Savage's rights "by failing to take any disciplinary action against Belcaster" for appearing to act in revenge for the action instigated against his friend, Moretti, as a result of the complaint filed by Savage.
The Savages are seeking an emergency court order reinstating Brendan to the varsity team, and directing Hinsdale South to give him "reasonable playing time." In a motion filed with the court, they note that Brendan would otherwise be prohibited from playing high school basketball during his senior year, preventing him from showcasing his talents for prospective college recruiters, harming his ability to potentially land a college basketball scholarship.
They are also asking the court to direct the school and other defendants to pay them at least $75,000, plus attorney fees.
Other defendants named in the lawsuit include Belcaster; District 86 Superintendent Linda Yonke; Hinsdale South Principal Patrick Hardy; Hinsdale South Athletic Director Art Ostrow; and District 86 employee Cheryl Moore, who served in the role of manager for student harassment and bullying complaints.