Jan 14, 2015
Judge denies mother's court bid to bar son from playing rep hockey
A B.C. mother went to court in November to ask a judge to rule that her son, who has learning disabilities and struggles to achieve high marks in school, be barred from playing rep hockey. As TSN Senior Correspondent Rick Westhead writes, the judge ruled against the mother on the condition the son maintain passing grades.
A family battle over rep hockey has wound up in court.
A B.C. mother went to court in November to ask a judge to rule that her son, who has learning disabilities and struggles to achieve high marks in school, be barred from playing rep hockey.
The mom, who is paid $105,000 as a nurse manager (her husband earns $100,000), also argued that the cost of rep hockey is beyond the family's means.
The woman's ex-husband, father of the young hockey player referred to as "O.B." in court documents, opposed his ex-wife's request, arguing that his son has always struggled in school, that he enjoys playing competitive hockey, and that his son's coach benches any players who struggle in school.
The boy's mom disputed that claim. "Despite failing grades this year, it does not appear that O.B. was suspended from the team," a B.C. Superior Court judge wrote in her judgment.
Even so, the judge ruled in favour of the father.
"In future, O.B. should be permitted to register in and play rep hockey if he qualifies for a team," the judge wrote in her judgment. "This order is subject to the condition that O.B. maintains passing grades in all of his subjects at school because of the time commitment required for rep."
The judge, who wrote that the boy and his sibling may participate in three sports in each school year, wrote that the boy's mother alone will decide whether her son has obtained passing grades.