Dad Fights to Keep Son with Down Syndrome Playing Ball

More than 6,700 people have signed a petition on Change.org asking high school officials in Michigan to allow a 19-year-old high school student with Down syndrome to play basketball and football during his senior year. Dean Dompierre, whose son, Eric, will be 20 for the 2012-13 academic year at Ishpeming High School - the boy started elementary school later due to his disability - began the campaign after the Michigan High School Athletic Association disqualified Eric for next year, citing a handbook rule that states students are not allowed to participate in any school sports if they are older than 19.

Dompierre and the Ishpeming School District have pitched multiple rule-revision proposals to the state association beginning in 2010 - including, according to the MHSAA, ones that would allow for a case-by-case evaluation of requests by student-athletes with Down syndrome and for student-athletes with any kind of disability. The Change.org petition states that 23 other states currently allow waivers extending the maximum-age requirements for student-athletes with disabilities. According to UpperMichigansSource.com, MSHAA officials responded to the proposals by saying in part, "After a very thorough review, it was determined that there should be no change to the MHSAA constitution."

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