Competitive spirit sidelined by the rules

   Jordan Maliken and his supporters lost one at the wire Tuesday.

      State Education Commissioner Richard Mills decided he had to let a decision stand:
Maliken, 20, who is diagnosed with mental retardation, cannot race with the track team during
the final two weeks of his last year at Amherst High School.

   Although state law allows students with disabilities to go to school until age 21, rules
say athletes cannot compete for a fifth year, or after age 19.

   Still, his parents and school staff thought there was a chance that an exception could be
made for Maliken, now finishing his fifth year of high school.

   So people went to hearings, made phone calls and tried to navigate confusing layers of
bureaucracy.

   Twice, in March and April, the local division of the New York State Public High School
Athletic Association, affirmed that the rules did not allow for exceptions for students with
disabilities.

   On Tuesday Mills let the association decision stand.

   "There is no authority, in this case, for the commissioner to waive the requirements," said
Jonathan Burman, a Mills  spokesman.

   What do you think?

-- Michelle Kearns

Comments

[R.W.P]

Having a handicapped child myself I know what this family is dealing with on a daily basis,Try our life for one day and you would understand.NYS. Gov. is a joke starting with the Gov. all the way down,with a few exceptions, they would rather give big dollar patronage jobs to a washed up boxer and a x-town supervisor wake up Albany!!! It would meen the world to this kid to participate.

[Jim Fleur]

Hate Me Now,

Painting this situation with such a broad brush approach is akin to your argument with society. Explain if you would the harm in letting this boy run (and if your argument is simply the bullheaded "rules are rules", your shortsightedness is noted).

[hate me now]

This is EXACTLY what is wrong with society. We have rules, and people want to break them because it makes someone feel good. Too bad. Welcome to the real world where bad things happen to good people, you can't always get what you want, and life is tough.

[Dave]

I think this is one of the problems we are having in our society. No body will stand up and say "I know these are the rules but this is just wrong." Nobody gets hurt in any way shape or form if he runs. Why did they even ask? Sometimes it is better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
Let him run. If he does run, what are they going to do? Disqualify him?