Lombard wrestler with hearing disability sues IHSA for not letting him compete after school transfer

CHICAGO - A high school wrestler in Lombard is suing the Illinois High School Association for not letting him wrestle at a school he recently transferred to that better accommodates his hearing disability.

Harrison Konder filed the lawsuit on Wednesday with Myron M. Cherry & Associates LLC.

He's a senior student at Montini Catholic High School after transferring from Downers Grove North High School, where he attended from freshman year to junior year.

Konder was born deaf and has faced hearing impairment his entire life. According to the law office, he placed in the State wrestling tournament each school year but was struggling with his academics.

The transfer to Montini Catholic was a move recommended by his medical team and his counselor at Downers Grove North.

With the smaller class sizes and more "individualized attention," they determined it would improve Konder's academic performance, the law office says.

Once he transferred to the new school, Konder improved in the classroom, but not on the mat.

According to the lawsuit, IHSA wouldn't let him compete on the wrestling team due to his recent transfer to Montini Catholic.

Konder is claiming in the lawsuit that the IHSA "discriminated against him based on his disability," the law office says.

The IHSA is also accused of bypassing its own rules that could allow eligibility under such circumstances and refusing to grant him eligibility. Konder meets the IHSA's residency requirement as well.

The lawsuit, which is titled, "Konder v. Illinois High School Association," is still pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.

FOX 32 Chicago reached out to the IHSA for a statement on the lawsuit. The organization said, "We do not comment on ongoing litigation."