July 7, 2015: In this photo, Steven Heffron, 6, and his mother, Denise Watts, play in Smale Riverfront Park in downtown Cincinnati. (AP)
CINCINNATI – The mother of a 6-year-old boy with Down syndrome says in a federal lawsuit that an Ohio YMCA excluded him from a summer camp and some other programs because of his disability and treated him hypocritically after using him in promotions extolling opportunities for everyone.
Denise Watts has sued in Cincinnati alleging discrimination by the Great Miami Valley YMCA in Butler County.
The lawsuit says the YMCA violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act by not providing "reasonable accommodations" in its programs and by discriminating and retaliating against her son based on his disability. The lawsuit wants the YMCA to provide such accommodations and seeks unspecified damages.
Attorney Michael Hawkins is representing the YMCA. He says it is gathering facts before commenting.
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