Bronx volleyball phenom Anyela Aquino may soon be playing with the boys — perhaps even by court order.
Anyela Aquino helped the Taft girls’ team to an 11-1 record, and was slated to join the boys’ team before the city stepped in.
The 17-year-old high school senior’s attorney filed a petition Thursday in Bronx Supreme Court asking a judge to declare Anyela eligible for the boys team at her school, the Taft Educational Campus.
The lawyer, Robert Siano, is also seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the Public School Athletic League, which oversees high school sports across the city, from removing Anyela’s name from the roster of Taft’s varsity boys team.
Anyela helped the Taft girls’ team to an 11-1 record, and was slated to join the boys’ team before the city stepped in.
“(W)ithout the school’s knowledge, her name was removed from the roster. Ms. Aquino is now only allowed to practice with the boys’ team, but not play in competition,” the filing says.
Siano says the decision to exclude his client was “based solely on her gender.”
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A spokesman for the Department of Education, which oversees the PSAL, noted that Aquino has not yet filed an administrative appeal.
“We are dedicated to continuing to expand opportunities for students to participate in sports teams across the City and encourage as many students as possible to get involved,” said the spokesman, Toya Holness. “Playing on a team is a transformative experience that strengthens school communities.”
Time is of the essence — the Taft boys team is off to a 3-2 start in a season that ends May 3.