The Facebook post shared by Emily Anne Schwartz, a mother from Chattanooga, Tennessee, got a huge public attention in which she discussed the barriers faced by children with disabilities in recreational sports.
Schwartz’s 8-year-old son, River, who has both ADHD and is on the autism spectrum, was denied the opportunity to play in the 8U division of East Ridge’s fall baseball league, as per the post.
Her son, River, participated in recreational baseball for several years with East Ridge, and Schwartz had every expectation that he would continue to do so this year.
However, the season started with confusion and exclusion. As per Emily, she had not received any communication about River’s team placement until the day of the first game.
When she contacted the athletic director, she was informed that River had been placed in a “kid pitch” division due to Dizzy Dean Rules, and that he had already missed a practice and was about to miss a game.
The main point of the issue lies in the refusal to allow River to play in the 8U division, despite being 8 years old for the entirety of the fall season.
Emily was told that “children aren’t allowed to play down regardless of disability,” a statement that disregarded the legal obligation to provide reasonable accommodations for children with disabilities.
She pointed out that under the ADA, her son, River, is entitled to such accommodations, and she has since initiated a formal complaint.
In a follow-up conversation, Schwartz reached out to Dizzy Dean Baseball and was told that they do not govern the rules for fall ball.
When Emily confronted the athletic director again, he shifted blame, claiming he wasn’t made aware of River’s disability.
Yet, Schwartz maintained that she had no prior knowledge of River’s team assignment or age bracket until the day of the game.
The situation further escalated when Schwartz was told she would need to pay an additional $18 for River to receive a jersey for the correct team, despite the confusion and lack of communication from the organization.
Moreover, they blamed the entire situation on Emily’s fault and that the athletic director bore no responsibility for denying accommodations.
In the comment section of Emily’s Facebook post, some social media users raised their concerns about the incident.
Stacy Varnon, a graduate of Canyon High School, wrote,
Sounds like they are handing you a bunch of BS. I would take it to the top person and if you still don’t get anywhere then tell them you’ll file a complaint.
Stacy Varnon
Shannon Richie, who works at College Press, commented,
That makes no sense! Ridiculous
Shannon Richie
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Emily Anne Schwartz is originally from Canyon County, California, but lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- According to Emily’s Facebook profile, she has been married since 2020.
