KENILWORTH — The legal drama surrounding Sydney Phillips’ desire to play basketball on the St. Theresa’s School boys team has struck a cord with dozens of people who wrote comments about her story.
Phillips played on the school’s girls team in prior years, but when that team’s season was cancelled, the girl and her parents pushed for her to play with the boys team, but the school that was not permitted.
Sydney’s father, Scott Phillips, filed suit to get her on the team. A judge threw out the lawsuit, but the father is appealing. The school says any parent getting involved in litigation is grounds for removing a student, and Sydney and her younger sister were summarily dismissed. Now a judge has stopped the dismissal pending a court hearing. The school says Scott Phillips signed a student handbook that warned about starting litigation.
Readers were moved to write many opinions and observations. Some say the school should let the girl play with the boys. Some are critical of the father for going to court. Others criticized the judge for stopping the expulsion of the two sisters, and one person asked “what would Jesus say?”
Here is your chance to have a say. Vote in the poll below. Under that is a sampling of what people have said about the stories.
Here are some of what the people are saying.
bigego The girl is the one who’s going to suffer with all of this going on.
Goldfish Let the girl play
DD @Goldfish She can….on a travel league
Istillhatelawyers I hope the grades these girls make are better than their hook shots. That SHOULD be more important.
Jdiamon That’s a private school. They get to make the rules. Since when does a judge get to dictate how a private business is run? This judge is wrong. School should refuse to follow judgement.
Imme I hope the archdioces fights this, cant have judges dictating how a religious school enforces its own rules.
Goldfish Who’s the bully the diocese or the parents, maybe the parents are silly but what would Jesus say.
Beezlebrox @Goldfish I believe Jesus said “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesars.” Which would amount to honor the contracts you sign.
surfpunk Not very God-like for a Catholic school to expel not one, but both kids because they’re pissed.
MightyMikeNice Very simple..the girl can not play on the boys team. Accept it and move on. Better yet, enroll her in another school where she can pay instead of suing and making a spectacle of it.
JerseyRic Yep throw more money in lawyers pockets for parents acting badly.. These poor girls are going to be in for a rough ride no matter where they end up. They will be out soon enough.
Greatness is here Life lesson one every kids needs to learn. Life is not FAIR
dontbescared365 Well at least Sydney and her sister can go back to learning…that’s a plus
GaryG Times have changed. In the 50’s it was “I’ll take my ball and go home.” Today you don’t go home, you go to court.
Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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