Crespi Shot Putter Sues CIF, Wants Back in Competition

A UCLA-bound shot putter sued the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section today in the wake of the agency's ruling that he was ineligible for competition this season at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino.

Amir Patterson filed the disability accommodation complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court. He is seeking a court order directing the CIF's Southern Section to allow him to compete. A hearing is scheduled for Monday, said his lawyer, David Greifinger.

Greifinger declined to speculate on the outcome of the hearing, but said his client is in good spirits.

Patterson, 18, also wants statutory damages and attorneys' fees.

CIFSS spokesman Thom Simmons declined to comment on the suit.

Patterson says he experienced severe difficulties due to lack of social maturity after he skipped from the first to the second grade, leaving him younger that most of his classmates. His problems continued as the years passed, so he turned to home-schooling on the advice of his psychologist and school principal, the suit states. He also was moved back from the ninth to the eighth grade.

Patterson enrolled at Crespi in 2010, has progressed well as a student and is currently a senior, according to his lawsuit.

CIFSS rules allow student athletes to compete in up to eight consecutive semesters after starting the ninth grade, according to the suit. Patterson falls outside that limit this year because his semester in the ninth grade in 2009, while he was still being home-schooled, counted against him, his suit says.

Patterson sought a hardship waiver and cited his disability, but the CIFSS rejected his application and his appeal, according to his court papers.

--City News Service