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Judge won’t lift ban; Michigan prep star remains benched

Posted at 5:28 PM, Jan 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-11 17:28:29-05

DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge says there’s no constitutional right to play high school sports, rejecting a plea from a Michigan basketball star who’s been benched after transferring to a new school for his senior year.

Tom Kithier, a Michigan State recruit, has been declared ineligible to play for Clarkston. Judge Marianne Battani declined to intervene in the decisions of the Michigan High School Athletic Association after hearing arguments Thursday.

The MHSAA says Kithier is ineligible because his transfer from Dakota was motivated by sports and a desire to play with another Michigan State recruit who was his teammate on a summer team.

Kithier and his family insist that he left Dakota because he wanted a better education. Clarkston won the Class A championship last year and is 9-1 this season.