Outcry as special needs athlete told to remove varsity letter jacket

A special needs student’s mother reported that her son was asked to take off his varsity letter jacket at Wichita East High School in the US state of Kansas. Jolinda Kelley’s son Michael Kelley, who has down syndrome and autism, plays basketball on the school’s special needs team. Kelley bought her son a varsity letter to celebrate his participation in sports, but said she was asked to keep him from wearing it after another parent complained. Principal Ken Thiessen explained the school finds it “not appropriate” to give special needs athletes varsity letters because they don’t participate in “varsity level competition”.

A petition to change the school’s policy, launched by Kelley’s classmate, has been signed by more than 46,000 people.