Ocean View Hearing Scheduled for Monday Morning

A hearing to determine whether the Ocean View High School basketball team will compete in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section 5-A playoffs will be held Monday at 9:30 a.m. in Orange County Superior Court.

A lawsuit was filed by the Ocean View Basketball Booster Club, Seahawk Coach Jim Harris and 12 of his players against Ocean View High School, the Huntington Beach Union High School District and the CIF on Jan. 23.

The school, on behalf of the district, forfeited the Seahawks’ 24 victories and Sunset League championship after the 1984-85 season when it ruled that Harris had used undue influence to retain star forwards Ricky Butler and Desi Hazely at the school.

Harris was reinstated as coach in May, 1985, but the Southern Section in August imposed further sanctions on the program, including declaring the Seahawks ineligible for the 1985-86 playoffs.

Harris contends that he never broke CIF Rule 510 (undue influence) and that the Southern Section sanctions imposed were excessive. The school, district and the CIF contend that Harris did break the rule and that all sanctions were just.