A DuPage County woman has filed a lawsuit accusing a west suburban school district of violating her son’s First Amendment rights by cutting him from the Hinsdale South High School basketball team. She is alleging retaliation for his complaint against the team’s former coach, according to court records.

       Erin Savage of Darien filed the lawsuit against Hinsdale Township High School District 86 in federal court Wednesday. The complaint names the interim district superintendent, Hinsdale South principal, current head basketball coach and other employees as defendants.

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       [ Update: Player reinstated to Hinsdale South basketball team after mother files suit ]

       The lawsuit states that Savage made a complaint on behalf of her son, Brendan, about the former head coach of the Hinsdale South varsity basketball team, Michael Moretti, during the 2022-2023 school year. Hinsdale South officials investigated Moretti for “verbal abuse, bullying (and) humiliation” and later demoted him from varsity coach to freshman basketball coach, according to the lawsuit.

       District investigators described Moretti’s interaction with Savage’s son as “inappropriate and inconsistent with the high standards of professionalism expected of all (district) employees,” according to a June 2023 letter from acting Superintendent Chris Covino to Savage and her husband contained in court records.

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       The district did not find that Moretti’s actions constituted bullying, the letter said.

       The letter further directed Savage and her husband to notify the investigator immediately “if you or (your son) experience any retaliation as a result of your complaint.”

       Savage’s son, who is now a senior, was on the school’s varsity basketball team for two years before the 2023-2024 school year, according to the suit.

       The complaint states that Savage’s son “was considered a standout player on the varsity team” for the preceding two seasons. Other court records show that he received all-conference honors during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years.

       According to the complaint, Savage’s son tried out but was not chosen for the varsity basketball team earlier this month. The team is now coached by Michael Belcaster, according to the complaint and the Illinois High School Association. The complaint describes Belcaster as a “close personal friend” of Moretti.

       The District 86 Board of Education and the district’s attorney, Jason Manning, did not immediately return requests for comment.

       Originally Published: Nov 27, 2023 at 8:13 pm