Family appeals ruling in Catholic school basketball dispute

By AP
Published

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) A New Jersey family has appealed a judge's ruling that upheld a Roman Catholic school's decision to banish two sisters after a dispute over one of them wanting to play on the boys' basketball team.

A lawyer for the Archdiocese of Newark tells NJ.com (http://bit.ly/2eZYtf1 ) that the girls' father, Scott Phillips, filed the appeal after a judge ruled last month that the court didn't have the authority to force St. Theresa School to re-enroll his daughters. The judge also lashed out at the girls' parents for making the dispute public.

Newark archdiocese lawyer Christopher Westrick says Phillips had unsuccessfully sought a stay that would allow his daughters to attend the school during the appeal process. Westrick says the state Supreme Court denied the stay.

Phillips declined comment Monday.

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Information from: NJ.com, http://www.nj.com