China Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Cheerleading case stirs up dispute Julia Sullivan wants to be a cheerleader. She likes to dance. She wants to get people excited for games. She has friends on the cheerleading squad. “I just think it would be fun,” the 16-year-old said. So she's practiced. Her older sister, a former cheerleader, helped her figure out ways she could cheer from her wheelchair. Julia, who'll be a junior at Aurora High School this fall, was born without legs and with arms that stop short of her elbows. This spring, for the third time, she tried out to be a cheerleader. For the third time, she didn't made the squad. Last month, she and her parents, Mike and Carolyn Sullivan, asked the Aurora school board to correct what they see as “scoring errors” in her tryout evaluations this spring, saying she was given no accommodation for her disability. Their attorney cited the Americans With Disabilities Act and other federal laws that prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. They also asked the board to adopt policies specifying that such discrimination won't be tolerated and that the district will make accommodations to avoid it. On Monday, the board declined to take up the matter after meeting in closed session. .... Schneider laid out the family's requests in a June 9 letter to the school board. He also detailed the steps they had taken to try to resolve the issue. The sponsor of the program, he wrote, asked administrators before last spring's tryouts what accommodations should be made for Julia. The sponsor was told Julia was to be judged in the same way as other participants. Three tryout judges were given the same instructions. Seventy-five percent of a participant's score was based on physical activities. Twenty-five percent was based on teacher evaluation. In the performance portion, Julia received her lowest score in the jumps/kicks category and her highest marks in the communication skills and enthusiasm/spirit categories. Click on the link for the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I feel for her and it would be a cool story if they'd let her cheer, but there is no mandate to let anyone on the team. They let her try out and she failed to make the squad. No discrimination. Well, likely there is a sort of discrimination going on, but not the kind that the ADA was really designed to handle. I feel bad for her, but don't feel she's been wronged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I agree Burgold. She's limited in what she can do and that has to be evaluated on some level. In fact, when I was in high school, our girls would enter district and regional competitions (we HAD to go) so it's not just like yelling encouragement from the sidelines would always be enough. I think when it comes to making competitive teams, it's OK to admit if someone can't contribute and isn't one of the X best people to try out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pick6 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I think in this case it would be easier just to allowing her to be a cheerleader. No one else would expect you to change the rules for them and she would only be on the squad for a few years. Hell, put a extra spot on the squad for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I think in this case it would be easier just to allowing her to be a cheerleader. No one else would expect you to change the rules for them and she would only be on the squad for a few years. Hell, put a extra spot on the squad for her. I'd be fine with that too...I just don't think that any time someone with a disability is cut it has to become a legal matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dockeryfan Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 WTF, I want to be a pro basketball player, but I'm 5'10". Sometimes you just can't do the job. The girl is in a wheelchair and wants to cheer. OK. DO we really need a lawyer arguing that there is discrimination? The girl can't kick. Cheerleeders kick and run around. Deal with the fact that you can't do it and you never will. Christ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Yup, accomodation is a tricky business. You want to adapt the environment enough that everyone has the possibility to succeed, but accomodation doesn't mean you get what you want just the chance for it. As I said before, I'd enjoy the story more if she made the team or if they found a way to include her, but as a former special ed teacher, I'm satisfied that she got the chance to try out (assuming it was an honest shoot which I have no reason to believe it wasn't). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 She tried out. She didn't make it. It happens to people with arms and legs too. I commend her for her moxie but I don't see this as a case of discrimination any more than it would be for anyone else who didn't make the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconTheVillain Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I read the first line, looked at the picture, and lol'd. Julia received her lowest score in the jumps/kicks category Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renaissance Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 When I started reading this I honestly thought it was going to be about a fat chick wanting to participate. I honestly don't know the rules about all this stuff, but I really don't see a problem with letting her participate with the squad on the sidelines of sporting events. Is she going to be really involved in competitions and the like? Probably not, but make some consolation and let her participate somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichmondRedskin88 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 This is tough. See I could understand cheerleaders giving her a spot but at the same time I understand not giving her a spot because shes limited in what she could. That's not discrimination. There's just lot of things cheerleaders have to do. The fact is if they just give her a spot wouldn't that be shown as favoring? So you see its a slippery slope either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pick6 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I'd be fine with that too...I just don't think that any time someone with a disability is cut it has to become a legal matter. I should have added that I also don't believe it should be a legal matter. Just it would be easier to let her join. Life is going to be hard enough for her anyways. She just wants to cheer on the sidelines. These are not professional cheerleaders getting paid. It is high school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Slippery slope too if you give her a pass. What if someone with one arm wants to play baseball in 10 years and this case is used as precedent? Does he just get a spot too even if he's not as good as the guys who would make the team ahead of him? Being disabled + Being cut from a sport <> Being cut from a sport BECAUSE you're disabled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Slippery slope too if you give her a pass. What if someone with one arm wants to play baseball in 10 years and this case is used as precedent? Does he just get a spot too even if he's not as good as the guys who would make the team ahead of him? Being disabled + Being cut from a sport <> Being cut from a sport BECAUSE you're disabled. Jim Abbott says "hi" Sorry, couldn't help myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pick6 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Slippery slope too if you give her a pass. What if someone with one arm wants to play baseball in 10 years and this case is used as precedent? Does he just get a spot too even if he's not as good as the guys who would make the team ahead of him? Being disabled + Being cut from a sport <> Being cut from a sport BECAUSE you're disabled. Well cheerleading isn't really a sport, unless you are talking about competitions. I think the school should allow her the chance to cheer during football games, but not compete in the competitions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichmondRedskin88 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 The problem is if you hand out stuff to a person because their disabled where does it end? Do want a person to have the mentality that if I say I'm disabled they will give it to me? The world isn't like that. That's just life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Jim Abbott says "hi"Sorry, couldn't help myself. You know, I would have been disappointed if no one used Abbott! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pick6 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 The problem is if you hand out stuff to a person because their disabled where does it end? Do want a person to have the mentality that if I say I'm disabled they will give it to me? The world isn't like that. That's just life. I think there is a difference between someone saying they are disabled, to a girl with no arms and no legs. I mean her whole life is going to be rough. Please, it is high school, not the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Well cheerleading isn't really a sport, unless you are talking about competitions. I think the school should allow her the chance to cheer during football games, but not compete in the competitions. That should work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 You know, I would have been disappointed if no one used Abbott! I thought there was a pretty good chance that you were setting yourself up intentionally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grhqofb5 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 This is pretty sad all around. The girl wants to cheer, her parents don't seem to understand that she's better suited for other things, and a scumbag attorney is going to throw fuel on the fire started by the parents. When I was younger, my older brother tried out for the high school JV football team. He has wanted to play football for his entire life. He made it through 2-a-day practices (many others had quit), but at the end of those 2 weeks the coach took him aside after a practice and cut him from the team. The coach's reasoning was that he was too small to protect himself (which was true). My brother was understandably crushed. Instead of fueling his anguish, my parents encouraged him to take up other athletic activities, and by his senior year he was one of the top pole vaulting track athletes in the state. At any rate, I feel sorry for the girl because she's just going to suffer because of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeman38 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Well cheerleading isn't really a sport, unless you are talking about competitions. I think the school should allow her the chance to cheer during football games, but not compete in the competitions.Even in competition, cheerleading is not a sport. If it were, there would be all kinda repercussions. Pen and Teller did a great Bull**** about it, where basically the entire cheerleading industry is run by one company. You should look it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Jim Abbott says "hi" Sorry, couldn't help myself. Pete Gray as well.. the original one-armed ballplayer Ok, since no one else seems to want to say it,,, can we put her on the team for the entertainment of watching her try to cheerlead? Maybe they can build the pyramid, slide a ramp up to it it, roll her down and have her jump through a flaming hoop. That would be awesome. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10fttall Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 At least I'm happy that they didn't just outright sue for a bazillion dollars. Of course this whole complaint is ludicrous from the start. She's not trying to be homecoming queen or on the yearbook staff, or in a play. She is actually trying to do an activity where your job description is to jump, kick, tumble, toss people around and catch them. Hello, common sense calling? The public opinion for this is not going to be in her favor either. Think of everyone who ever tried out for anything and not made the team. I'm sure you did when you read this. There really cannot be any reasonable accommodation, unless you let her on out of pity and create a distorted quasi-cheerleading role for her to assume. So what happens next when she wants to join the track team, run, pole vault, shot put? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forehead Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I would think having her on the squad would actually help, think about how high you could toss her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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