South Florida

High School Athlete Back on Field After Suspension Overturned

On Tuesday, a judge granted a temporary restraining order that blocks the FHSAA from imposing its penalty.

A South Florida high school athlete is being allowed to compete after being banned from all sports earlier this year.

The ban originated after the Florida High School Athletics Association suspended then-rising senior Luther Johnson of Christopher Columbus High School last season for unsportsmanlike penalties on the field.

Johnson was suspended for five games for the first lacrosse incident in a game against Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and his second penalty came in his first game back against Belen Jesuit.

His family and lawyer appealed the ban. On Tuesday, a judge granted a temporary restraining order that blocks the association from imposing its penalty.

"Everybody's just glad to have me back," Johnson said in a news conference Wednesday, hours before opening night of football season between Columbus and Belen Jesuit.

This restraining order only temporarily blocks his penalty. His lawyer says the FHSAA plans on appealing the decision but no court date has been set so he will be able to play until it is revisited.

Contact Us