Schools

Charges Against Dearborn Heights Football Players Dismissed

Civil rights group hails judge's decision to drop aggravated assault charges against four Muslim students from Star International High School.

A judge dismissed assault charges on Wednesday against four high school football players from Star Academy in Dearborn Heights, according to a release from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

"We accept the decision of the Court and have no plans to appeal the matter," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy said in the release.

The charges came after a scuffle in Star International’s football game against Lutheran Westland on Oct. 21, according to the Arab-American News. One Lutheran Westland player was hospitalized with a concussion.

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Three Star International students were charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault charges for the incident involving a Lutheran Westland quarterback, and a fourth was charged for allegedly striking a coach.

But 20th District Court Judge Mark J. Plawecki dismissed the charges Wednesday and put an end to a controversial case that had attracted attention from civil rights groups.

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Dawud Walid, the executive director for the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, hailed Plawecki’s ruling.

"We welcome the dismissal of adult criminal charges against the four football players, though we continue to question why these charges were brought forth to begin with," Walid said in a release from the CAIR-MI. "Though we do not endorse unsportsmanlike conduct, selective prosecution of particular high school athletes with adult charges for activities that are common should be unacceptable to all of us."


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