Simi Valley Schools Won’t Travel to Riot Areas for Playoff Games

Spring playoff games involving Simi Valley high school athletes will not be played in the communities where heavy rioting occurred in the wake of the Rodney G. King beating case.

Four Los Angeles policemen were found not guilty of using excessive force in arresting King at the trial recently in Simi Valley. That decision precipitated rioting in South-Central Los Angeles and other Southland areas.

Any postseason contests matching students from Simi Valley and Royal high schools against teams from areas such as South Los Angeles and Long Beach will be played in Simi Valley or at neutral locations, Stan Thomas, commissioner of the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section, said Thursday.

Thomas said the Southern Section and Simi Valley Unified School District officials viewed the decision as a precautionary measure.

“It was a mutual decision that will be in the best interest of the student athletes,” Thomas said. “It’s common sense. We’re not going to risk anything for those athletes.”