Wichita to award varsity letters to special needs students

WICHITA – Students who play in a special-needs sports league in the Wichita area scored a victory.

The Wichita Eagle reports the Wichita school board voted Monday to direct schools to award regular varsity letters to students who participate in the Tri-County Athletic League.

The board voted unanimously to accept new guidelines proposed by the Tri-County league, which has teams from 11 area high schools for students with special needs. The handbook includes criteria for earning an athletic letter.

The decision comes after a Wichita mother complained that her special needs son was told last year that he should not wear a letter jacket with a varsity letter she bought for him.

District officials have said no one asked the student to take the jacket off.

This story was originally published April 28, 2015 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Wichita to award varsity letters to special needs students."