Special ed student can't play

A Hudson County (New Jersey) Superior Court judge denied a request Tuesday to allow a Hoboken High School football player to return to action for the school's 5-0 team while a question concerning his eligibility is decided among other agencies. The lawsuit stems from the fact that Terrance Vargas, classified as a special education student since grade school, was denied the right to participate in athletics because he failed two classes last year - even though there are New Jersey State Department of Education guidelines that state that special education students cannot be graded on the same scale as mainstream students. Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli turned down Jennings' request for an immediate action that would have let Vargas temporarily return to the undefeated Red Wings in time for this weekend's game against Emerson High School of Union City. Gallipoli said that his court wasn't the appropriate place to decide such a matter, and that the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association normally hears such cases. For more information, click here.

This is the second special education/football case about which I've posted in the last few months. I've posted on the Ingram case here and here.