State District Judge Courtney Arkeen has rescinded a temporary restraining order against the West Orange-Cove school district and others to prevent high school senior Morris Joseph from going to an alternative school or stopping him from UIL participation.
Joseph and his attorney did not appear at a court hearing to make the temporary restraining order into an injunction. The hearing had been set for Wednesday afternoon.
Joseph is one of three West Orange-Stark High School students charged with felony aggravated assault in connection with a spring break brawl in Crystal Beach. The criminal charges against Joseph, 18-year-old Dee Wolfford, 18-year-old Rufus Joseph, and WO-S graduate 20-year-old Deionte Thompson, were filed in Galveston County. The four are out of jail on bond.
All four have played football at WO-S and Thompson is currently on the University of Alabama team.
They are accused of hitting or kicking 18-year-old Noah Frillou of Orange County during a large fight at the beach. Frillou sustained serious injuries to his face and head.
Judge Arkeen signed the temporary restraining order late in the afternoon of Thursday, April 20. The petition for the order named the school district, the superintendent and the athletic director and ordered them not to send Joseph to the district’s alternative education center or to stop him from participating in UIL events.
The order was filed the day after the Area UIL track meet in which Joseph was prevented by school officials from participating. Because he did not participate, he did not win a berth for the regional meet.
Facebook photographs posted during the weekend showed Joseph attending the high school’s prom on Saturday night. The last day of the school year is May 26.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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