Father Claims Discrimination Against Redding Basketball

A Redding father says he is suing two people and two entities claiming his 12-year-old daughter was discriminated against by not being allowed to try out for an advanced basketball team.

Richard Cottrell, of Packer Brook Road, told Patch last week he believes Keith Gallagher, co-chair of the Redding-Easton Basketball Association, and Greg Frierson, presidet of the of Redding/Easton, discriminated against his daughter, seventh grader Christiana, by not allowing her to try out for the eighth grade travel team. In addition to suing the two men, Cottrell is also going after the The Boys and Girls Club of America and The Jesse P. Sanford Redding Boys & Girls Club of Redding/Easton.

No such lawsuit has yet been filed as of Monday, according to the Connecticut Judicial Branch.

According to Cottrell, his daughter is quite the basketball player and should be given the same opportunities the basketball association has given other kids.

“Last year, at the sixth-grade level, she was responsible for at least 75 percent of all the points scored,” Cottrell said of his daughter. “She just dominated. After the season ended, she won all these shooting contests.”

Cottrell said that in past seasons, the basketball association has allowed younger players who possess superior prowess to try out to play for a higher-than-grade-level team.

“My child should have the same opportunity that they’ve given other kids,” Cottrell said.

Gallagher, who coaches the eighth grade team that his own daughter is on, refused to allow her to try out for the team, Cottrell said.

“You can’t discriminate against my kid,” Cottrell said. “You can’t discriminate against any kid.”

Cottrell said he appealed Gallagher’s decision to Frierson, who said Christiana could get hurt and said the reason she wasn’t allowed to play was a safety issue. Frierson also said the decision was ultimately up to Gallagher, Cottrell said.

“My daughter has been playing in leagues where girls are two years older than her,” he said. “There’s no rationale explanation for this. You can’t deny my daughter an opportunity to try out.”

Speaking on behalf of the Boys & Girls Club, Frierson said Cottrell’s claims are “frivolous.”

“There’s no grounds for a lawsuit here,” he said. “We formed a new basketball league this year between Redding and Easton, a joint venture. It’s a grade level league. We don’t have kids playing-up unless we don’t have enough players. He just couldn’t accept that.”

Frierson said the league allows kids to “play-up” if there is a shortage of players. Two years ago, he said, the eighth grade girls team had seven players and needed 10.

“We let a couple of girls play-up,” he said.

Cottrell said his daughter should be offered the same chances other kids have been afforded in the past. He said his daughter showed up at the tryout for the eighth-grade team and they wouldn’t allow Christiana on the court.

“Other parents witnessed this,” he said. “They saw my daughter get turned away and they were upset.”

Cottrell said he suspects the situation is entirely the result of a parent being selfish and abusing his position of power.

“This is a parent who has a position with the Boys and Girls Club who is abusing his authority because he wants to favor his kid,” he said. “I don’t think the kids know anything about anything. I think the kids are terrific.”

Frierson said Christiana is a very talented basketball player.

“There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind, he does have a very good daughter,” Frierson said. “But the rule is clearly right.”

Cottrell said his daughter was "very disappointed" she wasn't given an opportunity as other girls had been given in the past.