At St. Regis Falls Central, a special needs student was denied participation on the varsity basketball team.
The coaches kept him on the sidelines while other players practiced, which led him to quit the team.
Despite his abilities and dedication, the student was not allowed to practice plays with the team, leading him to ultimately quit the varsity squad.
Find Out More: Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore wasn’t Even Trying to Hide His Affair With Paige Shiver as Her Pay Jumps From $58K to $90K
Parents Speak Out After Special Needs Student Denied Varsity Basketball Play at St. Regis Falls Central!
Jolene-Tom Jerry Nichols Streeter, the student’s parent, shared a detailed post on Facebook expressing her deep frustration over the treatment her son received.
She said her son decided to quit the varsity team because, except for the Athletic Director, no one helped address the problem.
In the post, she criticized the coaches for excluding her child from practices, while pointing out the contradictions in their complaints about his performance.
She emphasized that the school’s actions constituted discrimination and violated her son’s rights as a special needs student.
Further, she called the behavior of both the coaches and administrators “disgusting” and further said:
“I am so disgusted with the behaviors of the coaches and administrators that were at the meeting, it is a right for a special needs student to meaningfully participation in sports events, it’s a civil rights violation and Title lX.”
Streeter emphasized that it is a right for special needs students to meaningfully participate in sports and called the exclusion discriminatory.
She also noted that even if her son moved to JV, he was not guaranteed any playtime, while all other students on both teams played every game.
Furthermore, she called on the community to be aware of the ongoing mistreatment of disabled students and said she would contact the Section Executive Director and explore all other available options to protect her son.
The post drew strong reactions from the local community, with many expressing outrage and support for the student.
Sarah Dibble shared the post, stating:
“This is ridiculous. If Noah was good enough to make varsity then he should be allowed to play, and absolutely allowed to practice!”
Others engaged in the discussion, with one asking, “Is this Brasher School?” and another responded, saying:
“It is St. Regis Falls Central. The school has always been that way. They’ve gotten away with it for so long that it’s become a normal day thing for them and they brush it off like a piece of lint on their shirt. I graduated from that hell hole and let me tell you it wasn’t easy, and what gets me is that there are only a handful of parents that actually care about what is going on at that school and try to protect their children.“
Another commenter shared:
“girl I am so sorry this situation has happened to your boy. You give that school some hell. I don’t understand why they allow so many kids on the team only to keep some benched. And they wouldn’t let him practice either? I would definitely be calling discrimination.“
The case at St. Regis Falls Central has raised serious concerns about fairness and inclusion in school sports.
Community members are speaking out, demanding that special needs students be given equal opportunities to play and participate.
