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sm00r
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http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060725/SPT/307250041
Huggins' lawyer helps Walker
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->The attorney for former North College Hill basketball star Bill Walker believes the player can win an appeal to regain his eligiblity for the 2006-07 season, Walker’s would-be senior year.
Cincinnati lawyer Richard Katz, whose clients include former University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins (now Kansas State coach), will represent Walker in an appeal hearing Aug. 10 before the Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Control in Columbus.
“We expect to be successful,” Katz said Tuesday. “We think there are some serious issues in our favor.”
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Katz declined to be specific, but said there is paperwork that shows Walker should have two semesters of eligibility remaining at North College Hill.
Bob Goldring, an assistant OHSAA comissioner, said appeals in such cases usually are unsuccessful.
“Generally, the OHSAA board will not overturn a ruling by the staff,” Goldring said.
The OHSAA board is not authorized to waive the requirements of the bylaws, Goldring said. At the hearing, the board must decide if there was a mistake made in interpreting the bylaw by the OHSAA staff, if another bylaw could have been used that overrides the bylaw that was applied, or new information may be introduced – which was not available when the staff made its ruling – that may change the decision.
Walker’s family, represented by Katz, has sent a letter to the OHSAA announcing the appeal.
Walker and family members did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday. Katz said the family, for now, will not comment.
The OHSAA limits athletic eligibility to eight semesters. An OHSAA investigation, conducted following the 2005-06 basketball season, determined Walker had played two ninth-grade semesters at Rose Hill Christian (Ashland, Ky.) in the 2002-03 season, followed by six semesters of enrollment at North College Hill (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons).
Walker, rated the nation’s No. 2 would-be senior by Rivals.com, was listed as a freshman by Rose Hill for the 2002-03 season. He transferred in February 2003 to NCH and was put back in the eighth grade.
At the time, the NCH administration believed its records showed that Walker – who has attended several schools since he was a youngster in Huntington, W. Va. – had not yet finished eighth grade. Katz said he has obtained documents that will prove NCH was correct in that belief.
Walker is a 6-foot-6 forward who was listed by NCH as a junior this past season, when he averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 rebounds a game in helping lead NCH to its second consecutive Ohio Division III championship.
NCH principal Kelly Hughes has indicated that the school itself would not appeal the Walker ruling, which was announced July 10. OHSAA appeals procedures state that students, parents of the student, school administrators, coaches, contest officials or “any other person having a vested interest in the issue” can make such appeals.
E-mail [email protected]
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Huggins' lawyer helps Walker
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->The attorney for former North College Hill basketball star Bill Walker believes the player can win an appeal to regain his eligiblity for the 2006-07 season, Walker’s would-be senior year.
Cincinnati lawyer Richard Katz, whose clients include former University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins (now Kansas State coach), will represent Walker in an appeal hearing Aug. 10 before the Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Control in Columbus.
“We expect to be successful,” Katz said Tuesday. “We think there are some serious issues in our favor.”
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Katz declined to be specific, but said there is paperwork that shows Walker should have two semesters of eligibility remaining at North College Hill.
Bob Goldring, an assistant OHSAA comissioner, said appeals in such cases usually are unsuccessful.
“Generally, the OHSAA board will not overturn a ruling by the staff,” Goldring said.
The OHSAA board is not authorized to waive the requirements of the bylaws, Goldring said. At the hearing, the board must decide if there was a mistake made in interpreting the bylaw by the OHSAA staff, if another bylaw could have been used that overrides the bylaw that was applied, or new information may be introduced – which was not available when the staff made its ruling – that may change the decision.
Walker’s family, represented by Katz, has sent a letter to the OHSAA announcing the appeal.
Walker and family members did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday. Katz said the family, for now, will not comment.
The OHSAA limits athletic eligibility to eight semesters. An OHSAA investigation, conducted following the 2005-06 basketball season, determined Walker had played two ninth-grade semesters at Rose Hill Christian (Ashland, Ky.) in the 2002-03 season, followed by six semesters of enrollment at North College Hill (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons).
Walker, rated the nation’s No. 2 would-be senior by Rivals.com, was listed as a freshman by Rose Hill for the 2002-03 season. He transferred in February 2003 to NCH and was put back in the eighth grade.
At the time, the NCH administration believed its records showed that Walker – who has attended several schools since he was a youngster in Huntington, W. Va. – had not yet finished eighth grade. Katz said he has obtained documents that will prove NCH was correct in that belief.
Walker is a 6-foot-6 forward who was listed by NCH as a junior this past season, when he averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 rebounds a game in helping lead NCH to its second consecutive Ohio Division III championship.
NCH principal Kelly Hughes has indicated that the school itself would not appeal the Walker ruling, which was announced July 10. OHSAA appeals procedures state that students, parents of the student, school administrators, coaches, contest officials or “any other person having a vested interest in the issue” can make such appeals.
E-mail [email protected]
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I hate to say it but I am so beyond caring about Walker and Mayo anymore it is ridiculous...for his sake I hope he gets reinstated and once that happens I am ready to move on.
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Canton Rep
Walker's appeal denied
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> North College Hill basketball star Bill Walker today had his eligibility appeal denied by the Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Control.
Walker was hoping to be reinstated to play his would-be senior season at NCH this school year. The OHSAA declared him ineligible July 10, after an offseason investigation found Walker has exhausted his eight semesters of varsity eligibility.
Walker was found to have played two ninth-grade semesters at Rose Hill Christian (Ashland, Ky.) in the 2002-03 school year, then three years at NCH (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons).
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Richard Katz, Walker's attorney, said his research showed Walker had never actually completed eighth grade before coming to NCH in February 2003. Walker attended three schools in the 2002-03 school year in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.
Katz said he is unsure if Walker's family might proceed with a lawsuit against the OHSAA, with the intent of having the courts declare Walker eligible to play. Walker could not immediately be reached for comment but said recently that he plans to finish school this year at NCH regardless.
"Naturally Bill and his family are disappointed," Katz said. "I think we presented sufficient evidence and documentation to warrant reinstatement, but OHSAA (Commissioner) Dan (Ross) just called me and said they denied the appeal."
The OHSAA Board of Control voted in private after today's hearing, then called Katz to let him know the verdict. There was no immediate statement from the OHSAA regarding the verdict, but OHSAA assistant commissioner Bob Goldring had said before the hearing that such appeals usually are denied.
Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward, is rated the nation's No. 6 would-be senior by Rivals.com. He averaged 21.7 points a game last season in helping lead NCH to its second consecutive Division III state championship. Walker's highly regarded NCH teammate, O.J. Mayo, is scheduled to return for his senior year at NCH this season.
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[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Walker attorney says eligibility appeal rejected[/FONT]
Thursday, August 17, 2006 CINCINNATI (AP) - The state's sanctioning body for high school sports has upheld its ruling that Bill Walker, one of the nation's top prep basketball stars, is out of eligibility, the player's attorney told The Cincinnati Enquirer for a story Thursday.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association didn't announce its decision after hearing Walker's appeal Wednesday in Columbus. Walker's attorney, Richard Katz, told the newspaper that OHSAA commissioner Dan Ross informed him of the ruling by phone.
Bob Goldring, an assistant commissioner, said the OHSAA was following its policy of trying to contact school administrators before announcing Walker's status. OHSAA appeals hearings are closed to the public.
Walker is widely considered second only to Cincinnati North College Hill teammate O.J. Mayo among the nation's best incoming seniors. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 rebounds last season as he and Mayo led their team to a second straight Division III state title.
The OHSAA ruled July 10 that Walker couldn't play basketball as a senior because he had exhausted his eligibility by playing at Rose Hill Christian School in Ashland, Ky., in the 2002-03 school year. Walker then played the next three seasons for North College Hill.
Katz said he did not know if Walker's family would sue the OHSAA to try to have the player's eligibility restored through the courts. He said he has advised the family not to comment.
After the OHSAA's first ruling, there had been speculation that Walker might transfer to a private prep school. Walker said then that wasn't in his plans.
"I'm a student at North College Hill first, and that's where I plan to be next year," he said after he was declared ineligible.
Enquirer
Walker's eligibility appeal denied
Lawyer says documents were altered
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> North College Hill basketball star Bill Walker had his eligibility appeal denied Wednesday by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, despite Walker's attorneys' presentation of what the attorneys said were doctored school records.
Richard Katz, one of Walker's attorneys, said he and co-counsel Carl Stich presented documents to the OHSAA Board of Control that showed Walker had not completed eighth grade before the 2002-03 school year. The OHSAA on July 10 declared Walker ineligible for his would-be senior season, after an offseason investigation determined Walker had exhausted his eight semesters of varsity eligibility (2002-03 season through 2005-06).
Katz said there were altered documents presented to the OHSAA regarding Walker's academic status. Katz said he did not know who altered the documents.
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"There was a document from Marva Collins prep school in Cincinnati, where Bill attended seventh grade, where the school president and CEO noted that Bill had been promoted to eighth grade," Katz said. "There are documents floating around now that show an 8 was written over a 7 ... meaning, it was altered to show he had supposedly completed eighth grade instead of seventh."
There was no statement from the OHSAA after Walker's hearing at the OHSAA office in Columbus on Wednesday. OHSAA assistant commissioner Bob Goldring said the association, per policy, was trying to contact school administrators before announcing results of the verdict.
Katz revealed the OHSAA's decision to The Enquirer, saying OHSAA commissioner Dan Ross had called him with the verdict.
Katz said he is unsure if Walker's family might proceed with a lawsuit against the OHSAA, with the intent of having the courts declare Walker eligible for his senior year (2006-07 season). Walker could not be reached for reaction Wednesday, and Katz said he has advised the family not to comment publicly.
The OHSAA determined Walker had been listed as a freshman for 16 varsity games at Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky., for the 2002-03 season. There followed six semesters for Walker at North College Hill (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons).
Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward, is rated the nation's No. 6 senior by Rivals.com. He averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 rebounds a game last season as NCH won its second consecutive Ohio Division III championship.
Walker started the 2002-03 school year listed as an eighth-grader at St. Joseph Central Catholic (Huntington, W.Va.). Walker transferred to Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky., in October 2002 with the apparent belief that he still would be in eighth grade, but the private school had no seats available in eighth grade.
Walker thus was placed in the ninth grade at Rose Hill, and his family/advisers said they were told Walker would be put into the eighth grade once a seat became available. That did not happen, and then Walker transferred to NCH in February 2003. Walker was placed in eighth grade at NCH, which at the time did not have documentation that Walker had finished eighth grade.
Walker was listed as a freshman both in Rose Hill records and in Ashland newspaper accounts of the Rose Hill team in the 2002-03 season.
"The issue was whether or not he was registered in ninth grade at Rose Hill Academy," Katz said. "There was no record anywhere that Bill Walker completed eighth grade."
Katz and Stich contended that some documents might have been written over, after the fact, to show Walker had finished the eighth grade before he entered Rose Hill in fall 2002.
"We don't know who altered them, but someone did," Katz said. "The documents we presented were that somebody clearly had written over the documents ... and that they were not credible."
Katz also said he had a taped voice mail from an unnamed Rose Hill assistant coach to Dwaine Barnes - the AAU coach of Walker and fellow NCH star O.J. Mayo - that stated Walker had been wronged.
"The assistant coach told Dwaine that Rose Hill definitely made a mistake and Bill should not have been put in ninth grade, he should have been in eighth grade," Katz said.
The OHSAA relied on documentation from Rose Hill that showed Walker was a ninth-grader in 2002-03, Katz said.
Dr. Randy Douglas, superintendent at Rose Hill, told The Enquirer in June that Walker was listed as a freshman at Rose Hill in the 2002-03 school year. "He was a ninth-grader when he enrolled here and he was a ninth-grader when he left here," Douglas said.
Walker recently said he plans to finish the school year at NCH regardless of the OHSAA verdict, but rumors persist that he and Mayo might transfer. The two players have led NCH to consecutive Ohio Division III championships, and Mayo retains his senior year of eligibility.
There is also the possibility Walker could play at a fifth-year prep school.
E-mail [email protected]
Walker's appeal denied
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> North College Hill basketball star Bill Walker today had his eligibility appeal denied by the Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Control.
Walker was hoping to be reinstated to play his would-be senior season at NCH this school year. The OHSAA declared him ineligible July 10, after an offseason investigation found Walker has exhausted his eight semesters of varsity eligibility.
Walker was found to have played two ninth-grade semesters at Rose Hill Christian (Ashland, Ky.) in the 2002-03 school year, then three years at NCH (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons).
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Richard Katz, Walker's attorney, said his research showed Walker had never actually completed eighth grade before coming to NCH in February 2003. Walker attended three schools in the 2002-03 school year in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.
Katz said he is unsure if Walker's family might proceed with a lawsuit against the OHSAA, with the intent of having the courts declare Walker eligible to play. Walker could not immediately be reached for comment but said recently that he plans to finish school this year at NCH regardless.
"Naturally Bill and his family are disappointed," Katz said. "I think we presented sufficient evidence and documentation to warrant reinstatement, but OHSAA (Commissioner) Dan (Ross) just called me and said they denied the appeal."
The OHSAA Board of Control voted in private after today's hearing, then called Katz to let him know the verdict. There was no immediate statement from the OHSAA regarding the verdict, but OHSAA assistant commissioner Bob Goldring had said before the hearing that such appeals usually are denied.
Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward, is rated the nation's No. 6 would-be senior by Rivals.com. He averaged 21.7 points a game last season in helping lead NCH to its second consecutive Division III state championship. Walker's highly regarded NCH teammate, O.J. Mayo, is scheduled to return for his senior year at NCH this season.
Link
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Walker attorney says eligibility appeal rejected[/FONT]
Thursday, August 17, 2006 CINCINNATI (AP) - The state's sanctioning body for high school sports has upheld its ruling that Bill Walker, one of the nation's top prep basketball stars, is out of eligibility, the player's attorney told The Cincinnati Enquirer for a story Thursday.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association didn't announce its decision after hearing Walker's appeal Wednesday in Columbus. Walker's attorney, Richard Katz, told the newspaper that OHSAA commissioner Dan Ross informed him of the ruling by phone.
Bob Goldring, an assistant commissioner, said the OHSAA was following its policy of trying to contact school administrators before announcing Walker's status. OHSAA appeals hearings are closed to the public.
Walker is widely considered second only to Cincinnati North College Hill teammate O.J. Mayo among the nation's best incoming seniors. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 rebounds last season as he and Mayo led their team to a second straight Division III state title.
The OHSAA ruled July 10 that Walker couldn't play basketball as a senior because he had exhausted his eligibility by playing at Rose Hill Christian School in Ashland, Ky., in the 2002-03 school year. Walker then played the next three seasons for North College Hill.
Katz said he did not know if Walker's family would sue the OHSAA to try to have the player's eligibility restored through the courts. He said he has advised the family not to comment.
After the OHSAA's first ruling, there had been speculation that Walker might transfer to a private prep school. Walker said then that wasn't in his plans.
"I'm a student at North College Hill first, and that's where I plan to be next year," he said after he was declared ineligible.
Enquirer
Walker's eligibility appeal denied
Lawyer says documents were altered
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> North College Hill basketball star Bill Walker had his eligibility appeal denied Wednesday by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, despite Walker's attorneys' presentation of what the attorneys said were doctored school records.
Richard Katz, one of Walker's attorneys, said he and co-counsel Carl Stich presented documents to the OHSAA Board of Control that showed Walker had not completed eighth grade before the 2002-03 school year. The OHSAA on July 10 declared Walker ineligible for his would-be senior season, after an offseason investigation determined Walker had exhausted his eight semesters of varsity eligibility (2002-03 season through 2005-06).
Katz said there were altered documents presented to the OHSAA regarding Walker's academic status. Katz said he did not know who altered the documents.
<script language="JavaScript"> OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1');*</script>
"There was a document from Marva Collins prep school in Cincinnati, where Bill attended seventh grade, where the school president and CEO noted that Bill had been promoted to eighth grade," Katz said. "There are documents floating around now that show an 8 was written over a 7 ... meaning, it was altered to show he had supposedly completed eighth grade instead of seventh."
There was no statement from the OHSAA after Walker's hearing at the OHSAA office in Columbus on Wednesday. OHSAA assistant commissioner Bob Goldring said the association, per policy, was trying to contact school administrators before announcing results of the verdict.
Katz revealed the OHSAA's decision to The Enquirer, saying OHSAA commissioner Dan Ross had called him with the verdict.
Katz said he is unsure if Walker's family might proceed with a lawsuit against the OHSAA, with the intent of having the courts declare Walker eligible for his senior year (2006-07 season). Walker could not be reached for reaction Wednesday, and Katz said he has advised the family not to comment publicly.
The OHSAA determined Walker had been listed as a freshman for 16 varsity games at Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky., for the 2002-03 season. There followed six semesters for Walker at North College Hill (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons).
Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward, is rated the nation's No. 6 senior by Rivals.com. He averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 rebounds a game last season as NCH won its second consecutive Ohio Division III championship.
Walker started the 2002-03 school year listed as an eighth-grader at St. Joseph Central Catholic (Huntington, W.Va.). Walker transferred to Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky., in October 2002 with the apparent belief that he still would be in eighth grade, but the private school had no seats available in eighth grade.
Walker thus was placed in the ninth grade at Rose Hill, and his family/advisers said they were told Walker would be put into the eighth grade once a seat became available. That did not happen, and then Walker transferred to NCH in February 2003. Walker was placed in eighth grade at NCH, which at the time did not have documentation that Walker had finished eighth grade.
Walker was listed as a freshman both in Rose Hill records and in Ashland newspaper accounts of the Rose Hill team in the 2002-03 season.
"The issue was whether or not he was registered in ninth grade at Rose Hill Academy," Katz said. "There was no record anywhere that Bill Walker completed eighth grade."
Katz and Stich contended that some documents might have been written over, after the fact, to show Walker had finished the eighth grade before he entered Rose Hill in fall 2002.
"We don't know who altered them, but someone did," Katz said. "The documents we presented were that somebody clearly had written over the documents ... and that they were not credible."
Katz also said he had a taped voice mail from an unnamed Rose Hill assistant coach to Dwaine Barnes - the AAU coach of Walker and fellow NCH star O.J. Mayo - that stated Walker had been wronged.
"The assistant coach told Dwaine that Rose Hill definitely made a mistake and Bill should not have been put in ninth grade, he should have been in eighth grade," Katz said.
The OHSAA relied on documentation from Rose Hill that showed Walker was a ninth-grader in 2002-03, Katz said.
Dr. Randy Douglas, superintendent at Rose Hill, told The Enquirer in June that Walker was listed as a freshman at Rose Hill in the 2002-03 school year. "He was a ninth-grader when he enrolled here and he was a ninth-grader when he left here," Douglas said.
Walker recently said he plans to finish the school year at NCH regardless of the OHSAA verdict, but rumors persist that he and Mayo might transfer. The two players have led NCH to consecutive Ohio Division III championships, and Mayo retains his senior year of eligibility.
There is also the possibility Walker could play at a fifth-year prep school.
E-mail [email protected]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Not a real big suprise his appeal was denied. Walker keeps saying he is a student first and he intends to stay at NCH, if he follows through and does just that, then I applaud him, but it wouldn't suprise me to see him transfer out.
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BrutusBobcat
Icon and Entertainer
Walker said the right things about NCH, but he's nuts if he doesn't bolt for Oak Hill now that he's lost his appeal. Suing the OHSAA isn't a winning route.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Rivals.com$ (Kansas State site)
Walker will possibly graduate early and enroll in college this fall. Walker is taking the ACT this weekend and if everything goes well, he could possibly be on his way. No schools are listed, just speculation of where he may end up.
Walker will possibly graduate early and enroll in college this fall. Walker is taking the ACT this weekend and if everything goes well, he could possibly be on his way. No schools are listed, just speculation of where he may end up.
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DaytonBuck
I've always liked them
Would he then be eligible for upcoming NBA draft if he plays at KState this year?
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