CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Curie Metropolitan High School’s
basketball team, ranked among the best in the nation, has forfeited this
year’s games because several players were academically ineligible to
compete, public schools officials announced Friday.
Chicago Public
Schools said seven players on Curie’s 24-1 varsity team were ineligible
from the start of the 2013-14 season. Student athletes in the district
must maintain a 2.0 GPA to participate in sports, or have an individual
study plan in place to help them improve academically.
District CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett says Curie’s head coach Michael Oliver has been suspended.
"As
adults, educators and mentors, it is our responsibility to teach our
students right from wrong and, unfortunately, the adults let these
student athletes down by failing to do that and comply with CPS
policies," Byrd-Bennett said in a statement.
In addition to
regular season games, Curie will forfeit this year’s Chicago high school
championship, earned with a win over Whitney Young High School. The
title will remain vacant.
Chicago Public Schools revealed it was
investigating Curie hours before the school, ranked No. 1 in basketball
in Illinois and No. 2 in the country, competed against Young for the
city title on Feb. 21.
The game, which Curie won in four
overtimes, drew national attention because two players, Young’s Jahlil
Okafor and Curie’s Cliff Alexander, are considered by some to be the
best in the nation.
Curie may still be allowed to compete for a
state championship. That’s because the Illinois High School Association
has different requirements for eligibility. Students must pass five
courses and achieve a minimum of 2.5 credits at the time of the
tournament, district officials said.
IHSA Executive Director Marty
Hickman said in a statement that the organization is still reviewing
the district’s report on the investigation, and it will be in a position
to make a decision by Monday.
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