HUBER HEIGHTS — A five-star wide receiver prospect from Wayne High School is at the center of a legal battle.
Depending on the way the lawsuit plays out, it could forever change things for high school athletes across Ohio.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, Jamier Brown’s mother filed the lawsuit against the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday.
>>RELATED: Family of local football standout suing OHSAA over NIL restrictions
The lawsuit aims to allow Ohio high school students to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
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Brown’s attorney, Luke Feldman, is calling this situation an emergency.
He believes Ohio high school athletes of all genders and sports are missing opportunities to get paid for their name, image, and likeness.
In the lawsuit, Brown’s mother claims OHSAA rules have cost her son $100,000 a year.
ESPN has called Brown the country’s top wide receiver in the 2027 class.
He’s already committed to play at The Ohio State University.
“For someone like Jamier Brown, he is an elite athlete ranked nationally, and theres significant opportunities for him that currently exist and those opportunities are well into the six figures,” Feldman said.
They want to push the OSHAA to change the rules surrounding NIL deals.
“There are 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, that allow for high school student athletes to earn compensation from name, image, and likeness,” Feldman said.
He added that OSHAA’s rules have created disadvantages for the state’s high school athletes.
“Which is why Mr. Brown wanted to file this lawsuit and his family wanted to file this lawsuit,” Feldman said.
OSHAA told News Center 7 that this lawsuit could force the association to take an “emergency referendum” vote earlier than its planned vote in May.
The association approved NIL language in September.
The executive director said in part, they have been preparing for this.
“We’ll be having conversations with OHSAA, their attorneys will also be looking to follow the court and timeliness of the court as it relates to our motion for a temporary restraining order, and so simultaneously, we’ll have those conversations as well as look to the court and follow the court’s timeline here in the coming days,” Feldman said.
Brown shared the following statement on the lawsuit on social media on Wednesday afternoon:
Dear Ohio,
I want to share something that I hope can help make a real change for high school athletes in Ohio. I’m filing a case in court to challenge the current Ohio High School Athletic Association rules that stop athletes from using their Name, Image, and Likeness. I’ve talked about this with my attorney, my family, and the people close to me, and I want to use my platform to make a difference for athletes across the state.
I’m being raised by an amazing single mom who’s always doing her best to keep things steady while helping me chase my goals on and off the field.
Like what’s allowed in other states, I want to be able to use my name, image, and likeness to help my family financially and get the extra after school academic help and football training that can help me maximize my potential. NIL can make that possible for me and many other student athletes in Ohio.
We’ll see what happens next, but I want to thank those that are standing with me during this process. For any questions, please contact my attorney.
Now it’s back to school and football where the real work continues.
— Jamier Brown
The association didn’t say when it might decide to take an earlier vote.
However, if member schools approve NIL deals for high school athletes, the plan would include rules about what type of NIL deals students can participate in.
News Center 7’s Taylor Robertson reached out to the Wayne Athletic Director, but he said the district doesn’t have a comment at this time.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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