CHICAGO _ The father of a football player is accused of influencing the outcome of a recent game in favor of Nazareth Academy, in suburban Chicago, and is at the center of a lawsuit filed by groups associated with Simeon Career Academy against the Illinois High School Association.
The Simeon Alumni Association, the Blue Machine _ the Simeon football team's booster club _ and a handful of parents filed the lawsuit Nov. 16 against IHSA in Cook County Circuit Court, less than a week after the Chicago football team lost a Class 7A quarterfinal 34 to 27 to Nazareth Academy, a Catholic high school in suburban La Grange Park.
Matt Troha, the assistant executive director of IHSA, said early Monday that the association did not have a comment. Though it was aware of media reports about the lawsuit, IHSA had not yet received notification about it.
The lawsuit alleges a parent of a player from Nazareth wore his referee uniform and was involved in calls the referee team made though he was not officiating the Nov. 10 game. The father was also seen alongside referees in an area where only officials are supposed to be.
On Facebook, the father responded to criticism of him being involved in the game by saying, "I did what was needed to make sure Naz won," according to screenshots included in the lawsuit.
In another comment, the father tells someone, "I didn't make one bad call. I made sure the best team won."
The groups filing the lawsuit on behalf of Simeon high school argue the father's conduct adds up to a breach of IHSA's rules and by-laws. They are asking that the winner of the game be stricken and no winner be declared.
They are also asking that the father and other referees who were present Nov. 10 no longer be allowed to officiate any games. Troha did not respond to questions about whether the father or other referees remained employed by the IHSA.
