Muslim athlete disqualified over uniform

[Enlighten one :) 5]

WASHINGTON - A high school track star has been disqualified from a meet because officials said the custom-made outfit she wears to conform to her Muslim faith violated competition rules.

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Juashaunna Kelly, a senior at the District of Columbia's Theodore Roosevelt High School, has the fastest mile and 2-mile times of any girl runner in the city this winter. She was disqualified from Saturday's Montgomery Invitational indoor track and field meet.Kelly was wearing the same uniform she has worn for three seasons while running for Theodore Roosevelt's cross-country and track teams. The custom-made, one-piece blue and orange unitard covers her head, arms, torso and legs. Over the unitard, she wears the same orange and blue T-shirt and shorts as her teammates.

The outfit allows her to compete while adhering to her Muslim faith, which forbids displaying any skin other than her face and hands.

"It's not special," Kelly said. "It doesn't make me perform better."

But meet director Tom Rogers said Kelly's uniform violated rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which sanctioned the event. Uniforms are required to be "a single-solid color and unadorned, except for a single school name or insignia no more than 2 1/4 inches," he said.

Rogers said that he knew Kelly was wearing the uniform for religious reasons and that he offered her several options to conform to the rules while still respecting her faith, including placing a plain T-shirt over her unitard and then wearing her team uniform over it.

Kelly's mother, Sarah, and Roosevelt Coach Tony Bowden disputed that account. They said officials made several demands of her daughter before Rogers made his decision.

"First, they said she had to take her hood off," Sarah Kelly said. "Then, they said she can't have anything with logos displayed. Then, they said she had to turn it inside out. When I told them that there weren't any logos on it, they said she had to put a plain white T-shirt on over it."

Juashaunna Kelly has worn the same uniform for three years without any problems, including at last year's Montgomery Invitational. Rogers said officials must have missed the uniform last year.

"It wasn't a problem last year, and it's a problem this year? Make me understand why," Bowden said.

Kelly, whose 1,600-meter time of 5 minutes 17.49 seconds and 3,200-meter time of 12:00.81 are the fastest of any D.C. girl, was hoping to run fast enough at the Montgomery Invitational to qualify for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York on Feb. 8-9.

Bowden said the team has no other meets scheduled that would allow her to qualify for the event, which attracts dozens of college recruiters.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

WASHINGTON - A high school track star has been disqualified from a meet because officials said the custom-made outfit she wears to conform to her Muslim faith violated competition rules.

Watch Video

Juashaunna Kelly, a senior at the District of Columbia's Theodore Roosevelt High School, has the fastest mile and 2-mile times of any girl runner in the city this winter. She was disqualified from Saturday's Montgomery Invitational indoor track and field meet.Kelly was wearing the same uniform she has worn for three seasons while running for Theodore Roosevelt's cross-country and track teams. The custom-made, one-piece blue and orange unitard covers her head, arms, torso and legs. Over the unitard, she wears the same orange and blue T-shirt and shorts as her teammates.

The outfit allows her to compete while adhering to her Muslim faith, which forbids displaying any skin other than her face and hands.

"It's not special," Kelly said. "It doesn't make me perform better."

But meet director Tom Rogers said Kelly's uniform violated rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which sanctioned the event. Uniforms are required to be "a single-solid color and unadorned, except for a single school name or insignia no more than 2 1/4 inches," he said.

Rogers said that he knew Kelly was wearing the uniform for religious reasons and that he offered her several options to conform to the rules while still respecting her faith, including placing a plain T-shirt over her unitard and then wearing her team uniform over it.

Kelly's mother, Sarah, and Roosevelt Coach Tony Bowden disputed that account. They said officials made several demands of her daughter before Rogers made his decision.

"First, they said she had to take her hood off," Sarah Kelly said. "Then, they said she can't have anything with logos displayed. Then, they said she had to turn it inside out. When I told them that there weren't any logos on it, they said she had to put a plain white T-shirt on over it."

Juashaunna Kelly has worn the same uniform for three years without any problems, including at last year's Montgomery Invitational. Rogers said officials must have missed the uniform last year.

"It wasn't a problem last year, and it's a problem this year? Make me understand why," Bowden said.

Kelly, whose 1,600-meter time of 5 minutes 17.49 seconds and 3,200-meter time of 12:00.81 are the fastest of any D.C. girl, was hoping to run fast enough at the Montgomery Invitational to qualify for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York on Feb. 8-9.

Bowden said the team has no other meets scheduled that would allow her to qualify for the event, which attracts dozens of college recruiters.

America....the land of the free.

[Nizzy 1]

I got a "D" in gym class because I wouldn't wear a bathing suit and get in the pool. Whatever.

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

so she'll conform to religious requirements but won't conform to uniform requirements?

[almaty 19]

she wears the uniform over an unitard......it does not give her an edge..and why now? cause some other coaches raised hell..cause she is good..the best in the mile...3 years ago, no one cared..

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Poor girl

[Alhamdulillah 0]

she wears the uniform over an unitard......it does not give her an edge..and why now? cause some other coaches raised hell..cause she is good..the best in the mile...3 years ago, no one cared..

Exactly... surely she'll be able to sue and have this decision reversed as it's terribly unconstitutional.

[simple_male 1]

she wears the uniform over an unitard......it does not give her an edge..and why now? cause some other coaches raised hell..cause she is good..the best in the mile...3 years ago, no one cared..

Exactly... surely she'll be able to sue and have this decision reversed as it's terribly unconstitutional.

Yes, I agree.

[eric&gen 0]

Our freedom will be gone soon.

[Amby 490]

####### grrrrr

[Fandango 1,439]

focking hell...whats w the America land of the free comment and the our freedoms are gonna be gone comment? this is a school issue...hey, ya can't chew gum in some schoolsl...that doesn't mean ya can't chew gum in America.

THANK GOD this happened in America...where she has recourse to protest! I don't agree at all with the choice...BUT did u know that swimmers practice and don't shave their bodies...then when the meet comes, they shave their whole bodies...in efforts to minimize 'drag' in the water. dunno if her good performance has raised questions about the bodysuit...i can't really imagine that this is a color of the suit issue...but I hope it gets resolved!

[Jesse and Hema 2]

she wears the uniform over an unitard......it does not give her an edge..and why now? cause some other coaches raised hell..cause she is good..the best in the mile...3 years ago, no one cared..

Exactly... surely she'll be able to sue and have this decision reversed as it's terribly unconstitutional.

Yes, I agree.

But not in time to allow her to compete in front of the college recruiters! She's been robbed of opportunities, just because (presumably) some rival coaches are so competitive they "play dirty"... Despicable.

Usually I am sarcastic and critical of discrimination-based lawsuits, but this poor girl went out of her way to try to make everyone happy while still being able to do what she enjoys, and is now being forced to choose between her religion or her sport. I hope she wins this inevitable lawsuit!!

[sandinista! 1,816]

so she'll conform to religious requirements but won't conform to uniform requirements?

kids these days, not realizing school > God.

[Aymerlu 3]

So it's ok for girls to walk around with their butts hanging out, but not ok for someone to cover?

[simple_male 1]

So it's ok for girls to walk around with their butts hanging out, but not ok for someone to cover?

Good point.