The Illinois Attorney General’s office plans to sue the Illinois High School Association to force it to allow disabled athletes in its swimming and track and field championships.
The Attorney General’s office plans to file the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of 16-year-old Mary Kate Callahan. The swimmer from LaGrange is paralyzed from the waist down. She now swims with her team at local meets, but can’t swim at championships. The lawsuit claims that’s a violation of federal law.
IHSA Director Marty Hickman is surprised by the lawsuit. An IHSA committee is now considering options for disabled access. But IHSA last month also sued the AG’s office after a meeting between the two. That lawsuit asks a judge to find that the
association isn’t breaking laws with its current system.
