Judge rejects lawsuit by pole-vaulter over competition ban

NORTH CANTON, Ohio – A federal judge has a rejected a lawsuit by a pole-vaulter who says his Ohio high school banned him from competing because he refused to practice in the rain.

Max Stokey claimed he was “restricted from participating” after he questioned a track coach’s decision to practice vaulting in wet conditions April 3.

But a federal judge upheld the ban, saying the school had the discretion of keeping the Hoover High School freshman out of competition for failing to abide by the coach’s rules.

The Canton Repository reports the judge’s decision will keep the athlete from participating in this week’s district tournament meet.

Stokey’s father acknowledged that the lawsuit was a “longshot.”

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Information from: The Repository, http://www.cantonrep.com