Posted on 07/13/2011 7:52:29 AM PDT by Tazzo
Aurora High junior Julia Sullivan was born without legs or forearms. The district and her family disagree on whether that should have been taken into account at cheerleading tryouts. more... http://www.omaha.com/article/20110713/NEWS01/707139920#cheerleading-case-stirs-up-dispute
(Excerpt) Read more at omaha.com ...
Oh, please! When will this stop?
How ridiculous.
No arms? I’d say ok,
No Legs? That would be ok too.
But no arms and legs? That’s plain silly.
Well I guess she could be a safety mat.
"Idiots file discrimination lawsuit against Mensa"
Gimme a W !
Gimme a T !
Gimme a F ?
What’s that spell ?
Wanting to do it is one thing, but giving jobs to bumper sniffing lawyers because God made you a certain way is where I lose my respect.
“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.”
Should make for an interesting case.
If she had prosthetics, she could try out on equal terms with other students. Amputees and people born without limbs compete in many sports using prosthetics.
The cheerleading team coach, and the entire squad, should have just made her a member right off the bat, and worked out ways for her to participate. It would have been a wonderful story. Teenage girls can be really dumb, mean, and petty ( I know, I raised two)..so I’m inclinded to fault the coach, the school AD,and the principal for not having more smarts.
I shouldn’t laugh but LO F’ing L!!!
Last I heard, cheerleading involves a bit more than sitting and spinning. How'd she do on the back flips? Getting that wheelchair to the top of the pyramid formation would be a bit difficult. Sorry, I'm sure she's a very nice child, but everyone has their limitations. Some are rocket scientists, most aren't. Some are cheerleaders, most aren't. Just because she'd like to be a cheerleader doesn't mean her parents should bully their way into making the school put her on the squad. If that were the case, the school would have to put everyone who tried out on the squad.
This is why there is Braille on the drive up ATMs.
I wanted to play football in junior high but the state had a weight minimum for who was allowed to play. Being one of the smallest kids in my class, I didn’t come close.
I ended up joining the track and field team instead. Still a good experience. What’s the big deal? This girl could do all sorts of activities, but missing limbs knocks you out of cheerleading. Kids need to learn an important sentence: “that’s the way it goes.”
I was thinking the same thing. In a better world, they could have arranged for her to participate according to her abilities, simply as a kindness.
However, in the real world, dozens (hundreds?) of others not chosen to be cheerleaders would throw conniptions and lawsuits, because life is all about winning, darnit, never about simply doing something generous out of love.
While the idea of using law-suits to settle each and every case of this type galls me, I think the school should consider letting her on the squad and allowing her to use her enthusiasm and spirit to help make up for her physical disabilities -- provided her participation causes no demonstrable physical danger to herself or others, of course. She and her fellow cheerleaders might even be able to come up with some routines that used her wheelchair to advantage.
Heck, our country has a president with little or no higher brain function, so why NOT a cheerleader with no legs?
Bingo.
Maybe. Some kind of honorary deal. There are other issues. These squads travel to and from games, have required camps, and perform many functions for the ASB’s.
Seems like if the parents would sue to get her on the squad, they’d sue for anything that happens to her while she’s on the squad.
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