Peabody Basketball Player Sues To Play At New School

PEABODY, MA -- A former Peabody High School student is going to court in hopes of playing basketball at his new school. Junior Chibuikem "Chip" Onwuogu, 17, and a 15-year-old sophomore transferred to St. Mary's in Lynn at the start of this school year. This week Onwuogu filed a suit in court in hopes of being able to play this season.

Peabody officials say they two were improperly recruited to the private school and are refusing to sign a waiver that would allow them to play this season.

Under MIAA rules, players have to sit out a year when they move to a new school unless their old school signs a waiver. The rule was set up to deter recruiting of star players, according to the Salem News, which first reported this story.

"The kids did nothing wrong here," Peabody Interim Superintendent Herb Levine told the newspaper, adding that he was worried that signing the waiver would set a bad precedent. Jeff Newhall, the athletic director at St. Mary's, told the Salem News the players had not been recruited.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Peabody Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).