On Tuesday morning, Erin Savage learned that her son Brendan was back on the Hinsdale South basketball team as a result of a lawsuit she filed last week. The Hinsdale Township School Board made the decision in a meeting on Monday night.

The school district didn’t give Savage any guarantee that Brendan would receive playing time.

“How stupid would it be to have Brendan sitting there on the bench?” Savage said. “They haven’t said anything about that but are hoping he will play.”

Savage sued the school district and several employees when Brendan was cut from the team after tryouts. The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 22 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. It alleged that Hinsdale South boys basketball coach Michael Belcaster cut Brendan after tryouts this fall in retaliation for the family filing a complaint against the previous coach, Michael Moretti.
Belcaster was the sophomore coach under Moretti last season.

“I’ve never filed a lawsuit before,” Savage told the Sun-Times on Monday. “Our six kids have been involved in approximately 31 varsity sports at the high school. I’ve never complained about a coach. But we’ve also never encountered [someone] who thinks he can do whatever he wants. That was [Moretti].”

The lawsuit hasn’t been dropped yet.

“If they put him on the team and never play him it is the same retaliation,” Savage’s lawyer Steven Glink said. “But for now it is great news. I’m very happy for the boy and his parents and I applaud the board for doing the right thing.”
Belcaster, a first-year head coach, didn’t decline to answer questions about Savage after the win against Glenbard South on Tuesday. He acted like he couldn’t hear them.

The first question to Belcaster was about Friday’s game. His answer: “We are going to get out and we’re gonna scout [Downers Grove South] a little bit more tomorrow. I’ve already been watching film for weeks ahead. That’s sort of what I do. So we’re going to take the best play and try to get a win together.”

Then I asked Belcaster if Savage would be in the rotation on Friday and what the plan was for working him back into the team.

Belcaster cupped his hand around his ear and leaned forward. I asked the question again. He repeated the motion. Then another reporter asked how Savage’s integration to the team would go. Belcaster said he couldn’t hear anything and walked away
Hinsdale South coach Michael Belcaster looks on during the game against Glenbard South.
Hinsdale South coach Michael Belcaster looks on during the game against Glenbard South.Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times
Hinsdale South hasn’t released a statement on the matter yet. A school district spokesperson said the district doesn’t comment on legal matters.

“Brendan texted [Belcaster] at like four or five and said he’d like to sit on the bench and support the team,” Erin Savage said. “[Belcaster] never responded.”

Savage said the plan is for Brendan to attend practice on Wednesday.

“He’s allowed to,” Savage said. “All you can do is hope that they figure it out.”

Helicopter parenting gone bad

A coach cuts one of his best players and that's your takeaway?

There must be a reason for the kid getting cut originally. We're not getting the full story here.

This

A coach cuts one of his best players and that's your takeaway?

Yeah he ran to mommy who got a lawyer. What else is this?

It happens. So we have set a presidence, don't make the school team, go cry to mommy to get a laywer and fix everything. School sports will come down to who can afford the best attorney. Is this the world you want?

It happens. So we have set a presidence, don't make the school team, go cry to mommy to get a laywer and fix everything. School sports will come down to who can afford the best attorney. Is this the world you want?

So you think it's just fine for a coach to act inappropriately in some manner to the point where he is demoted and the coach's former assistant, collegaue, and likely friend to cut one of his best players for complaining about the previous coach's admittedly inappropriate behavior?

The kid has been an all-conference player since his sophomore year. Cutting him from the team seems like a pretty egregious abuse of power by the new coach.

Have you guys read the story? The kid got the previous coach demoted by complaining about what the school board admitted was the coach's inappropriate behavior. That being the case, I'm not sure why the guy is still allowed to coach at all. Regardless, it seems pretty clear the coach's assistant who is now the head coach is retaliating against the kid.

Have you guys read the story? The kid got the previous coach demoted by complaining about what the school board admitted was the coach's inappropriate behavior. That being the case, I'm not sure why the guy is still allowed to coach at all. Regardless, it seems pretty clear the coach's assistant who is now the head coach is retaliating against the kid.

You probably would have been for Bob Knight getting fired.

How was the coach acting inappropriately?

You trust the school board? Cmon Pinko Jorr...

No. I think they should have stiopped the guy from coaching altogether instead of giving him the sophomore or freshman team and having his buddy who replaced him retaliate against the student.

No. I think they should have stiopped the guy from coaching altogether instead of giving him the sophomore or freshman team and having his buddy who replaced him retaliate against the student.

Again, you're basing your entire viewpoint on what the school board is telling you.

This is high school sports, not big time college athletics which I don't think should even exist. And Knight eventually did get fired.



I don't know but the school board found that he did. Maybe they should come out and say exactly what it was in light of what has happened since.

The kid accused the coach of being verbally abusive.