SOLON, Ohio–He didn’t cheat or do anything wrong.
But last fall, Justin Bachman was kicked out of a middle school cross country meet.
“At the beginning of the race, the officials were going over the rules,” he said. “What had happened is that they had told me to shut up because they didn’t realize that I had Tourette’s.”
The 13-year-old from solon has Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes jerking movements–and in his case–a few outbursts as well. He was diagnosed with the disorder about a year ago.
“His teammates stood up for him and tried to tell the referees and the officials he has Tourette’s, said Justin’s father, Ron. “He’s not doing this on purpose. It’s not ok to treat him like that. They were told to shut up also.”
Despite the explaination, Justin was disqualified.
“It was disappointing from the adult standpoint,” Ron said. “But, it was heartwarming to see his friends stand up for him and that was because of the education.”
Research claims that at least one percent of the U.S. population has Tourette’s syndrome.
Though Justin’s peers at school are supportive of what he goes through every day, he says there’s a lot of room for growth. The cross country meet inspired an idea.
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So Justin’s family and the City of Solon will run a first-ever Tolerance Fair.
The event will feature more than 40 different minority groups to provide resources and education the community–and of course, have a little fun.
For example, representatives from the deaf community will be teaching sign language. Some physically handicapped residents will have wheelchair obstacle courses and games. There will be food, raffles and other giveaways at the event, including a Marc Elliot, a featured international speaker on tolerance.
Ron anticipates this will become an annual event for the city, offering something for everyone.
“It’s going to be a blast,” he said.
Yet, for Justin, he hopes for one thing.
“Just the legacy of tolerance lives on,” Justin said. “Everyone helps everyone else when needed. And everyone’s accepting everyone else.
The Solon Tolerance Fair runs from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the Solon Community Center, located at 35000 Portz Parkway in Solon. It is free and open to the public.
There’s so many people that are different that are treated poorly,” said Justin’s mother, Lisa. “Justin was so upset after that, he came to us, saying he “didn’t want anyone to go through what I had to go through.”