HINSDALE, Ill. -- Hinsdale South's basketball team has been getting a lot of attention in the community for what's happened off the court in recent weeks. Specifically, surrounding one particulate player.
Erin Savage and her family will be rooting for their son, Brendan, to play Friday night in a highly anticipated basketball match against Downers Grove South High School.
"All Brendan wants to do is play basketball. It’s what he lives (and) breathes, it’s what he does," Savage said. “This has been incredibly frustrating and shocking that it could get to this point.”
Brendan was recently reinstated to Hinsdale South’s basketball team following a lawsuit his mother filed alleging her son was unfairly cut from the team. Erin accuses the school district and other employees of violating her son's first amendment rights.
The school board decided to allow Brendan back on the team after the lawsuit was filed, but would not guarantee playing time.
"There were a lot of things going on that were just not appropriate," Erin Savage said.
Savage said her son was an all-conference starter since his sophomore year before being cut- from the team. She told WGN-TV an example of some of the comments the team’s coach made after her son started the season with an injury to his knees.
"'We’re going to watch this video of Vietnam vets. Notice a lot of them are amputees, Brendan. Maybe you will stop complaining about your knee pain if you watch this video.' So it just kind of crossed the line," Erin Savage said.
Savage said the coach they complained about still remains employed, but no longer coaches the varsity team.
WGN-TV reached out to the school district, but they said they would not comment on any legal matters at this time. The lawsuit filed has not been dropped.
"We’re hopeful we can put all of this behind us and that he can just have his season and do what he’s been looking forward to do for years," Savage said.
Savage said supporters of her son being reinstated to the team are planning to wear special t-shirts to Friday’s game.
For more information on the lawsuit, click here.