Jamier Averette-Brown's lawsuit results in judge temporarily granting NIL rights to Ohio high school athletes

A lawsuit filed last week by the family of Wayne High School junior Jamier Averette-Brown resulted in a judge issuing a temporary restraining order Monday against the Ohio High School Athletic Association rules that prohibit athletes from profiting off the use of their name, image and likeness.

The lawsuit was filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday by Jasmine Brown, the mother of Averette-Brown, a wide receiver who is verbally committed to Ohio State.

Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page told The Columbus Dispatch her ruling affects all Ohio high school athletes, who will now have — at least temporarily — the same NIL rights college athletes have had since 2021.

“The court does find that granting this will allow for expanded opportunities for high school students and youth across the state of Ohio,” Page said, according to a report by NBC4 in Columbus. “Additionally, allowing this temporary restraining order will align this state’s policies for high school students with a majority of the other states across the country.”

According to reports, the temporary restraining order will last 45 days or until another hearing is scheduled. The OHSAA is expected to inform member schools of its next steps on Tuesday.

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Brown posted a letter to social media last week, explaining why his family filed the lawsuit.

“Dear Ohio,” he wrote. “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.”