Morris, NY Basketball Player Zackary Chase Barred From Playing Varsity Because of His Disabilities

They should be about giving every kid who shows up and works hard a chance to shine, disabilities or not

November 29, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on November 24, 2026

A heartbreaking story has surfaced in the small town of Morris, New York, leaving the community outraged and saddened.

Zackary Chase, a passionate senior at Morris Central School who lives and breathes basketball, has been told he cannot play on the varsity team in his final year of high school, solely because of his disabilities, which include autism.

For years, Zackary has been a dedicated member of the JV squad, showing up to every practice, putting in the work, and dreaming of the day he’d finally wear a varsity jersey.

He’s been playing organized basketball since fourth grade and, by all accounts from those who know him, has more than enough heart and skill to belong on the court with his peers.

Yet when senior-year tryouts came, the coaches shut the door without giving him a real chance, keeping him on JV once again.

When Zackary came home crushed after tryouts, his family decided they’d had enough. His parents, determined to fight for their son, fired off emails, made phone calls, and demanded a meeting with the athletic director and both the JV and varsity coaches.

What should have been a productive conversation quickly turned hostile.

According to the family, the coaches walked in with their minds already made up, even reportedly saying, “I don’t know why we’re even here.”

They justified their decision with vague concerns like “we don’t want him to get hurt” and warnings that teammates might “turn against him” if he couldn’t keep up, claims the family found to be excuses rather than genuine concern.

At no point was Zackary offered extra training, modified drills, or any of the accommodations that schools are supposed to provide students with disabilities.

Kelsey Chase, Zackary’s older sister, took to Facebook to share the painful details and call out what she and many others see as blatant discrimination.

In her viral post, she wrote: