BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Clarkston senior Thomas Kithier was soaking in Michigan High School Athletic Association’s decision, ruling him ineligible to play basketball for 180 days, the duration of the season, while he ate his lunch last Thursday.
Clarkston High School Principal Gary Kaul sat down with him for a chat.

“He is struggling with it, but Thomas is a really strong kid,” Kaul said. “He has goals and knows what he wants to do in life. He knows what it’s going to take to get him there. I can tell you he is handling this a lot better than I probably would have when I was in high school.”
Kaul added they also discussed how to turn negatives into positives.
“He is very happy where he is at. It’s a big change from where he came from – academically and socially, Thomas had some struggles at his school (Macomb Dakota),” he said. “His parents, Jane and Karl have been incredibly thankful to the school. I talked to them last night. We have tried to embrace Thomas and his family and help them through the difficult time. He is struggling. He is a great kid. He is going to get through this irregardless of what the decision is.”
Thomas transferred to Clarkston for his senior year after attending Macomb Dakota for three years.
Dakota refused to sign his Educational Transfer form, putting in motion a 90-day ineligible period which would have kept him from playing until January 15, 2018.
Dakota made a formal allegation Kithier’s move was primarily athletically motivated and not legal, sparking the MHSAA to look into it. MHSAA executive director John E. Roberts agreed with Dakota.
Clarkston Athletic Director Jeff Kosin said Clarkston followed every step they needed to from the very beginning.
” I let them know we had an 18-year-old who was transferring to Clarkston to an apartment of his own,” he recalled about the conversation Tom Rashid, MHSAA associate director. “He was taking classes at Clarkston. I was asked if he was a full time student ‘Yes, that is correct.’ I asked several times is this correct – are we doing everything the right way. They, said ‘Yes.’
“Then, they asked who the transfer student was. We informed them it was Thomas Kithier. At that point the conversation changed drastically. ‘What is Clarkston doing? What influence does this student have coming to Clarkston? Before I got off the phone, the last comment they made was if the administration at Dakota had any (guts) they wouldn’t sign that form.”
And, that’s what happened.
Clarkston Boys Varsity Basketball long-time head coach Dan Fife said he was staying out of the process as much as possible, letting administration handle the transfer. He is disappointed.
“During my coaching career, there have been times where families moved to Clarkston and their sons played on my teams,” he said in a statement. “My only concern when it occurs is the families follow the rules set by the MHSAA. That is what occurred in this case and yet, I find myself in position – for the first time in 35 years – of having to defend the integrity of my player, the Clarkston basketball program, and myself as a coach. The MHSAA does not have a handle on transfers, and they’re making an example of Thomas.”
Fife added during the press conference he felt “attacked” about the basketball program.
“There was language in the original letter from the MHSAA that alluded there was wrong doing by Clarkston,” Kaul said. “There were allegations. To my understanding individuals someway associated with the program attempting to use influence to bring someone to our school.”
In the end, MHSAA said they ruled Clarkston “had not participated in undue influence” to secure the student transferring to the district.
“This point was acknowledged by the school itself in writing on Nov. 14. It was reiterated when the MHSAA handed down the Executive Committee decision earlier this week,” MHSAA stated, when Clarkston appealed the five-person committee. The committee ruled in favor of the 180-day period.
The committee based its opinion on the “links rule” to which Thomas played his offseason AAU team with Clarkston’s senior point guard Foster Loyer.
“We followed the rules, and our one and only motivation for transferring to Clarkston was to surround our son with a supportive community that sees him as a multifaceted human being, and not a commodity,” said the Kithier family.
Kaul said the Kithier family contacted him by phone in July and he and Thomas’ mom, Jane, talked about academics.
“She had a lot of questions about academics – how they compared to different schools,” he said. She had done her homework with regard to academics aligned with what Thomas’ interests were and what they felt he needed to move on to the next level in college and even beyond college. Basketball was not discussed at that time.”
In their statement, the Kithier family stated,”We watched as our son’s school environment grew increasingly intolerable for him over two years. We knew staying at Macomb Dakota High School was not in his best interest. We researched several Michigan schools and found Clarkston’s outstanding culture and academic curriculum to be a great fit for Thomas’ needs and future goals.”
Kaul said he met with the family in early August and again talked about academics and not basketball. Next, he talked to Macomb Dakota administration.
“I characterize it as very pleasant, very polite. I walked away from the conversation with a clear understanding it was a done deal,” Kaul said. “We talked about Thomas being a good kid, opportunities for Thomas. We talked about the state of athletics and schools like ourselves where individuals want to move into the community because we offer great programs – not just athletics. I met with the Kithiers and completed our paperwork. The Kithiers then took the paperwork back to Dakota and then Dakota went underground. They couldn’t get information from Dakota, we couldn’t get information from Dakota.”
“We are going to pursue every angle,” said Clarkston Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Rod Rock. “Thomas is one of our kids. I have been in education for 25 years this is about as angry as I have ever been in term as what has happened to this young man. I know bad things happen. I can tell you pure and simple we were presented with a case of a family wanting to transfer based on academics. We have demonstrated difference on academic programs. To me that’s it.
Rock, Kaul and Kosin said Macomb Dakota had four players from last winter’s boys basketball team transfer out. Three are eligible with one at New Haven and two at Marine City Cardinal Mooney which also makes Clarkston administration believe they are making an example of Thomas.
Clarkston administration used it as one of their points when they addressed the executive committee.
“We went to the MHSAA last week and one of the points we made was they (Dakota) had several transfers in the past they got both academically and athletically,” Kosin said. “It was brought to our attention that until a school contests or challenges the MHSAA they are not a investigative body. They will not look into those allegations until it is brought to their attention. They know what’s going on. They admitted they knew what’s going on – not just us, not just Dakota but all the schools in the state. Until it is brought to their attention they stand back and watch. You find it disappointing. Our biggest disappointment is for Thomas Kithier.”
“Dakota accepted a transfer last year under the same circumstances who subsequently played for their team,” said Rock. “The MHSAA did not intervene in that matter. Clarkston will fight for this injustice.”
Clarkston will appeal to the MHSAA Representative Council and is asking for an immediate hearing since the council doesn’t meet again until March.
“My expectation is Thomas Kithier will be playing basketball for Clarkston High School on Jan. 15,” said Rock. “It’s what I expect to happen if there is any justice.”

  MHSAA, Thomas Kithier