Cheerleading case stirs up dispute

[Big Don]

Published Wednesday July 13, 2011
Cheerleading case stirs up dispute
By Julie Anderson
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER




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.
Aurora Superintendent Damon McDonald said school administrators and the school board reviewed the district's policies and criteria for the cheerleading program with its legal counsel. They also sought a second legal opinion.
“In both cases, they came back and said the Aurora Public Schools policies and guidelines are appropriate and legitimate for all students,” said McDonald, who took the job July 1.
The school district, he said, does not believe that there was a violation of the disabilities act and that making accommodations “would fundamentally alter the cheerleading program in the Aurora Public Schools.”
<<<SNIP>>>

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.
END EXCERPT
Of course she scored low in Jumps/kicks category, she doesn't have LEGS, which, are somewhat important for jumping and absolutely vital for kicking.

 

[Sukerkin]

Whilst I sympathise, I do have to ask why this is an issue.

Disabled cheerleaders for disabled teams, perhaps? How about all those poor girls who are too fat or just not pretty enough to be cheerleaders? Do they get to sue too?

 

[Big Don]

[h=2]Definition of KICK
[/h]intransitive verb

1
a : to strike out with the foot or feet

That being a prerequisite of cheer leading, she is not qualified. I can't fly a plane, that doesn't mean I should sue American Airlines for not hiring me as an international pilot.
I can't do handsprings or back flips, should I sue Ringling Brothers, for not hiring me as an acrobat?

 

[Archangel M]

Pft..its...cheerleading.

How a bunch of girls chanting and waving pompoms on the sidelines became something you have to "try out for" is beyond me. Let the kid be an honorary member and move along.

 

[MJS]

her highest marks in the communication skills and enthusiasm/spirit categories.

Obviously, she's limited as to what she can do. She can't jump or hold onto things, but given what she did get high marks in, I have to wonder if there isn't something else she couldn't do, to lend enthusiasm and spirit to whatever event is being cheered.

 

[Omar B]

Doesn't this school have a Spirit Squad or Flagettes? Seriously, she doesn't have to be a cheerleader because she doesn't have the required equipment, but those other groups are all welcoming and usually way better.

 

[granfire]

I suppose making her a flyer is out of the question....

Yes, she can cheer...heck, I don't think a soul would mind if she got a uniform and a set of pompoms


but SERIOUSLY....involving the courts?

make the school build a contraption so the girl can tumble...

As I understand even complete kids have problems making the team... (not to mention quiet a few end up in a wheel chair after)

Chalk it up to life is not fair. Screw Barney.

 

[granfire]

[h=2]Definition of KICK
[/h]intransitive verb

1
a : to strike out with the foot or feet

That being a prerequisite of cheer leading, she is not qualified. I can't fly a plane, that doesn't mean I should sue American Airlines for not hiring me as an international pilot.
I can't do handsprings or back flips, should I sue Ringling Brothers, for not hiring me as an acrobat?

In essence, yes

 

[Tez3]

I thought cheerleading was just waving pompoms around until my daughter started training in it, when I saw what they do it took my breath away. It's dance, gymnastics and amazing stunts. You don't have to try out for sqauds here you join and they fit you in. They don't have anything to do with other sports so they don't stand there supporting anyone. This is my daughter's group, you can see from the photo on the home page they are all shapes and sizes, my daughter is the small blonde in black standing on the right of the photo. she coaches now ( she's on the coaches page under the head coach) and like martial arts this does wonders for children and young peoples fitness, confidence and is excellent for team and character building with those stunts!


http://www.lazercheer.co.uk/

I think in the UK and Europe we have taken cheer away from the school and college aspect and made it a sport for everyone, so if she were over here she'd definitely have a place in a squad and if she wanted to be a flyer she'd be one.

 

[MA-Caver]

I think sometimes the strength of a person comes from not acknowledging what it is you can do... but accepting what it is that you can't do.
Yeah, sad that she can't get out there and join the girls and have fun cheering the team and getting the crowd motivated... but her enthusiasm from the crowd or even sidelines can inspire people to get excited.

Folks clamoring for the right to do anything that anyone else can do is okay but if you really are physically unable to do what the others do. Accept it and find another way to participate that is just as meaningful. My hearing loss gives me certain limitations and I just deal with it and go on. Amazing thing is ... I'm just as happy.

 

[Haakon]

Pft..its...cheerleading.

How a bunch of girls chanting and waving pompoms on the sidelines became something you have to "try out for" is beyond me. Let the kid be an honorary member and move along.

That was cheerleading in the 50's. Today the cheerleading squad is closer to a combination of competitive gymnastics + drill team. It's as much a competitive sport as football, basketball, baseball etc are. I wonder if they'll be suing because their daughter couldn't pass tryouts for the basketball or soccer team next.

 

[granfire]

I thought cheerleading was just waving pompoms around until my daughter started training in it, when I saw what they do it took my breath away. It's dance, gymnastics and amazing stunts. You don't have to try out for sqauds here you join and they fit you in. They don't have anything to do with other sports so they don't stand there supporting anyone. This is my daughter's group, you can see from the photo on the home page they are all shapes and sizes, my daughter is the small blonde in black standing on the right of the photo. she coaches now ( she's on the coaches page under the head coach) and like martial arts this does wonders for children and young peoples fitness, confidence and is excellent for team and character building with those stunts!


http://www.lazercheer.co.uk/

I think in the UK and Europe we have taken cheer away from the school and college aspect and made it a sport for everyone, so if she were over here she'd definitely have a place in a squad and if she wanted to be a flyer she'd be one.

I think I need to clarify....
I was cynical.

The girl, bless her heart, has no legs and not very long arms...
Does not mean she is a bad person or not smart.
It just means some things are just not going to happen.

Now, if were talking a beauty pageant....

 

[Tez3]

It may depend on what the cheer leading squad is 'advertised' as, if it says anyone can try out then they are in the wrong for excluding this girl, if they say you have to have certain abilities then the girl's family will be wrong. The trouble is with these stories we never hear the full story. It could well be that the school, the squad etc gave the impression it was open to all to join and take part. It could be too that the parents are taking it too far but it's hard to judge just from a media article.

 

[granfire]

It may depend on what the cheer leading squad is 'advertised' as, if it says anyone can try out then they are in the wrong for excluding this girl, if they say you have to have certain abilities then the girl's family will be wrong. The trouble is with these stories we never hear the full story. It could well be that the school, the squad etc gave the impression it was open to all to join and take part. It could be too that the parents are taking it too far but it's hard to judge just from a media article.

true enough.
But it's a general problem in these parts that the 'you can anything you want to be' is being dragged in front of a judge when it turns out that Barney was lying like a sunoffagun....

Not being on the squat does not preclude someone from cheering for the team. You just won't be in the pyramid.
Traditionally, there have been opportunities for those kids to participate in the team event. Just not on the field, but in a supportive role as 'manager'

 

[Big Don]

It may depend on what the cheer leading squad is 'advertised' as, if it says anyone can try out then they are in the wrong for excluding this girl, if they say you have to have certain abilities then the girl's family will be wrong.

There is a jumping and kicking category in the scoring, that would indicate you must be able to jump and kick...

 

[Tez3]

There is a jumping and kicking category in the scoring, that would indicate you must be able to jump and kick...

I don't know how it works over there but there's a lot of different sections in comps here, with different squads doing different things so I'm guessing the legal devil is in the detail. I must admit I still like the idea of her being the flyer! I do know that health and safety warnings should be given at these comps for the sheer noise level they make!

 

[Carol]

Found this story on the subject locally, I thought its conclusion made a lot of sense.

http://www.nesn.com/2011/07/lacking...ing-a-high-school-varsity-cheerleader-it.html

According to the assistant director of the Nebraska School Activities Association, Jim Angele, schools need to accommodate students in high school sports sanctioned by the state under the disabilities act. Cheerleading, however, is not state-sanctioned in Nebraska

 

[Grenadier]

They shouldn't have to accomodate her. It's a sport, and unless you can perform to the appropriate standards, then you get cut from the team. That's the way it's always been... Otherwise, why bother even holding tryouts? Why bother trying to create a good team?

I'm not saying that people with disabilities can't play sports; in fact, the Anaheim (formerly California) Angels baseball team had a pitcher on their team, Jim Abbott, who had only one arm. He actually had a few good years, but only because he was able to compensate for it using some pretty crafty means.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abbott

 

[Blade96]

I have a balance problem. I compete in shotokan tournaments under normal rules, against regular karatekas. There arent any allowances made for my balance problem, if i dont perform, i dont get the medal. But there are accomodations for my gradings. of course.

I dont see why i couldnt be the same for this girl. Maybe she cant do the real gymnastic and flippy stuff. who knows. But maybe there are other ways she can be a cheerleader and contribute in some ways rather than not allowing her to be a cheerleader at all.

 

[granfire]

I have a balance problem. I compete in shotokan tournaments under normal rules, against regular karatekas. There arent any allowances made for my balance problem, if i dont perform, i dont get the medal. But there are accomodations for my gradings. of course.

I dont see why i couldnt be the same for this girl. Maybe she cant do the real gymnastic and flippy stuff. who knows. But maybe there are other ways she can be a cheerleader and contribute in some ways rather than not allowing her to be a cheerleader at all.

The highschool my kid will be going to here shortly has a pretty crappy cheer squat. Does not mean anything past that it's a small school and they don't do a lot past pompom shaking and yelling. Not even a lot of high kicks. That's not a problem.
And a girl in a wheel chair could be right there with them.

However, other squats are just not build that way. Every member has to tumble, do splits, the lighter guys are on top of the pyramid, or flyers (which is actually pretty dangerous)

I don't see one problem with the kid being there, shaking pompoms and cheering. Hell, I'd buy her uniform...
But somehow trying to get from court what nature failed to provide? I am not seeing it.