Kristen Benson and Anthony Brighton won an Article 78 petition annulling the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s (“NYSPHSAA”) determination that the Syracuse City School District Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central (“ITC”)’s football team forfeited their game against Vernon-Verona-Sherrill School District (“VVS”) due to an ineligible player participating in the game. The NYSPHSAA found that an ITC player who played in the VVS game was ineligible to play as he had been ejected from a game played on October 25, 2024, and, as a result ruled that ITC forfeited the game. This forfeit would have cost ITC their season, despite ITC winning the game against VVS by a score of 22-14.
Benson and Brighton argued that the NYSPHSAA determination was arbitrary and capricious, in that ITC notified the NYSPHSAA of their appeal of the players ineligibility, ITC relied on NYSPHSAA’s advice in commencing the appeal process, and that the NYSPHSAA appeal standard was one that ITC could not be expected to meet. Supreme Court Justice Robert Antonacci agreed. Justice Antonacci found that the ITC was effectively denied of their opportunity to appeal the players ineligible status, which based on undisputed video evidence, seemed to have dubious support. Justice Antonacci found that ITC effectively communicated its appeal to NYSPHSAA, the standard that NYSPHSAA used in their appeal hearing was not found anywhere within the NYSPHSAA handbook, and ITC never received the written officials report notifying ITC of the disqualification and suspension of its player.
As a result of this ruling, ITC will take on New Hartford at 6:00 PM tonight in the Section III Class B Semifinal. Goodluck Eagles!
The full Decision can be read here.
