School bullying: Special needs student has varsity letter jacket removed at Kansas high school
- 9 years ago
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A high school in Wichita, Kansas has forced a student with special needs to take off his varsity letter jacket because he had not earned it on the official varsity team.
Michael Kelley goes to Wichita East High School. He loves playing extracurricular special-needs basketball and is proud of his school. He also has Down’s Syndrome and autism.
Michael’s mother bought a letter jacket for him so he could be like the varsity players he admired and feel included. But when another parent saw Michael wearing the jacket, he got teachers to make him take it off.
Michael was given a girl’s sweatshirt to wear instead, but his feelings were already hurt.
Local news station KSN asked school principal Ken Thiessen why special needs students can’t wear letters. Thiessen said it’s because they hadn’t earned it.
Seriously? You’re afraid letting a special needs student wear a letter jacket will dilute the value of the varsity athletes’ victory? That’s like saying a guy with Down’s Syndrome can’t wear Super Bowl ring because that detracts from the team’s victory. Hardly!
The only thing in the world kids like Michael Kelley want is to feel included and participate like everyone else. In fact, East Wichita High School is the only school in the district that prohibits special needs students from wearing letter jackets.
Principal Thiessen apparently thinks it’s best for the school that Michael Kelley be excluded from the recognition that other winners at Wichita East enjoy, or else Michael had better get to work on dominating next year’s varsity basketball championship.
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A high school in Wichita, Kansas has forced a student with special needs to take off his varsity letter jacket because he had not earned it on the official varsity team.
Michael Kelley goes to Wichita East High School. He loves playing extracurricular special-needs basketball and is proud of his school. He also has Down’s Syndrome and autism.
Michael’s mother bought a letter jacket for him so he could be like the varsity players he admired and feel included. But when another parent saw Michael wearing the jacket, he got teachers to make him take it off.
Michael was given a girl’s sweatshirt to wear instead, but his feelings were already hurt.
Local news station KSN asked school principal Ken Thiessen why special needs students can’t wear letters. Thiessen said it’s because they hadn’t earned it.
Seriously? You’re afraid letting a special needs student wear a letter jacket will dilute the value of the varsity athletes’ victory? That’s like saying a guy with Down’s Syndrome can’t wear Super Bowl ring because that detracts from the team’s victory. Hardly!
The only thing in the world kids like Michael Kelley want is to feel included and participate like everyone else. In fact, East Wichita High School is the only school in the district that prohibits special needs students from wearing letter jackets.
Principal Thiessen apparently thinks it’s best for the school that Michael Kelley be excluded from the recognition that other winners at Wichita East enjoy, or else Michael had better get to work on dominating next year’s varsity basketball championship.
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http://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS
Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt-WqkTyKK1_70U4bb4k4lQ?sub_confirmation=1
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