Judge denies UCLA student’s injunction, keeping him on interim suspension
By Alexia Boyarsky
May 20, 2013 12:00 a.m.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has denied an injunction filed by a legal representative of UCLA water polo player Hakop Kaplanyan, keeping the student on interim suspension.
Kaplanyan, a redshirt freshman, was arrested on April 3 for the alleged rape of a female student in his UCLA dorm room, after which the school placed him on interim suspension.
The District Attorney’s office has not yet filed formal charges against Kaplanyan.
A lawyer of Kaplanyan filed the injunction against the University of California Board of Regents earlier this week, asking to repeal the interim suspension.
The petition stated that since charges were never filed against Kaplanyan, there is no proof of the allegations made against him and he should not be suspended.
Kaplanyan’s lawyers argued that continuing to hold Kaplanyan on suspension causes damage by preventing him from completing his studies.
The judge ruled Friday morning without a hearing that the case “failed to demonstrate that (Kaplanyan) will suffer irreparable damages,” according to court documents.
One of Kaplanyan’s attorneys declined to comment immediately after the hearing. According to a Facebook profile run by another one of the athlete’s attorneys, Kaplanyan’s lawyers plan to file an appeal to dispute today’s judgment.
In an emailed statement, UCLA spokesman Tod Tamberg said that “the university remains committed to following student conduct procedures.”
Compiled by Alexia Boyarsky, Bruin staff.
