Tough Guy Principal Makes Student With Downs and Autism Take Off His Letterman Jacket Because He Didn't Earn It
WICHITA, Kansas – A Wichita woman claims her special needs son was asked to remove his letter jacket at school. The student, Michael Kelley, has Down’s Syndrome and autism. Kelley is not a varsity athlete but participates in extra-curricular special needs basketball. His family bought him a varsity letter like the other kids wear, but recently, his mother says he was asked to not wear the jacket. Turns out, the letter is an official Wichita East High School varsity letter, and East High says he is not supposed to have that letter. KSN talked to his mother Jolinda Kelley. She says Michael, her adopted son, is one of a kind and loves to play basketball.
When he was recognized for participating, Jolinda bought a varsity letter and put that letter on the jacket. She was shocked when she says he was asked at school to take the jacket off. “Another parent, from what I am told, was upset that my son was wearing his letter jacket.”
The mother claims her son was asked to take that jacket off and was given a sweat shirt to wear instead. The family says it was told only varsity teams can wear the letter according to East High’s policy. East High Principal Ken Thiessen says, “Teachers told the parents they would prefer he not wear the letter on his jacket.”
KSN also asked Thiessen if the school would consider giving a varsity letter to special needs kids. “We have considered it, and our decision was no. We decided that is not appropriate in our situation because it is not a varsity level competition.” Thiessen says his building decided varsity letters would be for varsity letter winners only. KSN found out that there is no district-wide policy in Wichita.
What a fucking loser this principal is. I think we officially found him. The epitome of all the school administrators who act like they’re kings of the most inconsequential castles in the world. Who in their right mind goes after a disabled kid for wanting to wear a letterman jacket? Have a heart, man. I’m pretty sure that even Al Bundy wouldn’t make a retarded kid take off a letterman jacket. And he scored four touchdowns in one game.
I mean maybe, maaaaaaybe. If this was a high school in Kentucky we were talking about he’d have a point. But come on. This is Kansas basketball. Like Kansas high school hoops is gonna lose integrity over letting one special needs kid feel fucking special? Doubtful. Why don’t you poll the kids who earned their letters on whether or not they have an issue with it, bro? Pretty sure that’s where you’ll find a reasonable and resounding “we don’t give a shit, just let the kid be happy” response you should have had in the first place.