Glucose Monitor Gets Colorado Teen Disqualified From Swimming Competition

A Colorado Springs swimmer was disqualified from a high school swimming competition due to his glucose monitor, according to The Denver Channel.

The mother of 16-year-old Ethan Orr filed a federal discrimination complaint against the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) over the incident. A competitive swimmer for Coronado High School, he qualified for the state championships and was about to swim in the June competition.

That's when a CHSAA referee allegedly approached the teen about the glucose monitor on his arm.

“Ethan was given the choice to remove it from his arm or not to compete in that event and he chose not to compete in that event. He thought that would allow his team to swim,” Amanda Terrell-Orr, Ethan's mom, told reporters. The referee reportedly told Orr's coach that Ethan should've been disqualified from all of the events without a doctor's note.

Terrell-Orr added that her son has been battling Type 1 diabetes since he was 10 years old, and swimming takes a lot of energy out of him. Ethan also needs to wear his glucose monitor at all times because it's connected to his insulin pump, she says. Removing it could disrupt the algorithm that determines whether he needs insulin.

Because Orr agreed to sit out due to the incident, the team couldn't find a replacement in time and was disqualified from the final relay race. Now, Orr's family is in contact with education and civil rights attorney Igor Raykin.

“I cannot imagine for the life of me how a glucose monitor could give him a competitive advantage. It’s not a rocket booster it’s a glucose monitor,” Raykin told reporters. While the family isn't seeking damages, litigation could be on the table if the association's policies aren't changed.

“It’s really infuriating when an agency like CHSAA is more focused on denying kids with disabilities the right to participate then it is in ensuring they have an inclusive environment for kid,” Raykin said.

CHSAA released a statement Tuesday night (August 31) claiming that the accusations from Ethan's legal counsel are "misleading and inflammatory."

"The student did not have a signed medical authorization, and the referee advised him that he would not be able to compete in his final event, the 400 free relay," part of the statement read. "This decision was required by the rules of the [National Federation of High Schools] that govern all participants equally and had nothing to do with the student’s disabilities."

You can read the full statement here.