January 6, 2024 — updated & revised January 7 and 12, 2024
by Roger Brickell, Sports Reporter & Amanda B. Starr, Metro Desk Reporter
In a surprise ruling Thursday night, the Realm of Bricklyn’s Board of Education (BoE) has banned Patricia Plater Perry from competing for the Bricklyn High School Striders track team. Complaints had been filed with the BoE by several parents of South Bricklyn and Bricklyn Junction students alleging that Percy’s physical attributes as a so-called “little person” gave her an unfair advantage over “normal” LEGO minifigure athletes.
In response to questions from the press, Melinda Tiler Marshall, Chair of the BoE, said that Perry – a 16 year old student from the Realm of Brickport, Maine spending the year in Bricklyn with her parents under a V1 Visitor Visa – had “an unfair competitive advantage as a result of her longer arms and legs.”
As Marshall noted, “in the past visiting students from other Inland Realms were just like Bricklyn students in terms of their physical attributes, and fairly participated on school sports times during their stay in Bricklyn. But there have been a growing number of visitors who are little people, including students spending a year in Bricklyn’s public schools. We are seeing that these students clearly have a distinct, and unfair, advantage in many sports, especially track.”
Perry, distraught over her disqualification, found some solace in hugs and shouts of “got your back” from her track teammates.
Bricklyn track coach (and teacher) Jerry Plater-Zybrick also expressed support for Perry saying “it’s unfortunate that some parents – and perhaps others in our community – have caused distress to one of our students. Patricia, besides being a star of our track team, is also an outstanding student, as I can personally attest being one of her teachers this year at Bricklyn High School.”
Plater-Zybrick acknowledged that he has been consulting with Patricia Perry’s parents on whether to appeal the BoE ruling. ✥
Update, Jan. 7, 2024: The Bricklyn Eagle has learned that Patricia Plater Perry has just filed an appeal to the Bricklyn Superior Court, and has requested an expedited hearing so that she can compete in the upcoming “LEGO Realms of New England” track meet on January 14. Perry has retained prominent Bricklyn attorney Wendy Tiler Wilson to handle the appeal.
Update, Jan. 12, 2024: With use of Bricklyn Superior Court’s expedited calendar, Superior Court Judge Marnya Brickerlan quickly held a hearing in the matter, and just issued a decision. For The Bricklyn Eagle’s summary of the decision and reaction of the parties. For a copy of Judge Brickerlan’s full decision (called “historic” by the appellants).
Fair or Unfair : What Do You Think of the Bricklyn Board of Education’s Decision to Ban Patricia Plater Perry from Competing?
E-mail your thoughts to Bricklyn Eagle Editor Walt Brickman: bricklynvt@gmail.com — but please read the remainder of the article (below) first.
When we publish letters to the editor, we will just use your first name, or the initials of your first and last name.
Some Background for Readers about Little People / Mini-Doll Figures
For clarity, what we at The Bricklyn Eagle and many others refer to as little people are, in LEGO-related literature, often referred to as mini-dolls or mini-doll figures. We prefer the term little people because these minifigures have more human-like body proportions, shapes, and skin color than traditional LEGO minifigures — and, to us, look more like little human people.
As an aside, we should note that author Steven Millhauser also uses the term “The Little People” in a short story by that name about a 2 inch high race of little people — though we are not aware of any direct connection between Millhauser’s and LEGO’s little people.
The Brickipedia web site notes that: “Mini-dolls [little people] are around 5 millimeters taller than a standard minifigure, and are less blocky and more stylized. They share a similar construction with the minifigure, having four parts: the legs (which cannot move separately), the torso, the head, and the hair or headpiece. The arms can be moved up and down, but unlike the minifigures, the hands can’t be turned around.”
“So far,” reports Brickipedia, “over fifty [models of] mini-dolls have been produced. Initially [introduced in 2012], they were exclusive to the Friends line, but in 2014, they were adapted to a new wave of Disney Princess theme sets and in 2015 they were featured in the Elves theme.”
Illustration from Brickipedia shows comparison of mini-dolls to a traditional LEGO minifigure.
Editor’s Note: Some readers might find it of interest to reflect on the use of prosthetic devices by disabled human athletes. See, for example, Larry Greenmeier, “Blade Runners: Do High-Tech Prostheses Give Runners an Unfair Advantage?” (Scientific American, August 5, 2016), and Adam Kilgore, “Paralympian Blake Leeper, ruled ineligible for Olympics, says he’s ‘baffled’ by the decision” (The Washington Post, October 27, 2020; for more on Leeper).
Letters to the Editor in Response to Banning of Patricia Patrick Perry
From the Editor: As we previously noted, to avoid any potential harassment, we are only using the initials or first name of those writing to us, along with their state [if known] or Inland Realm.
To the Editor: Is there an appeals process that can be implemented? From a Bricklyn Supporter. — From M.S. [Vermont]
To the Editor: Oh, my. Does Bricklyn have a Supreme Court? If they do, I sincerely hope they have no Trump appointees. — From P.D. [Vermont].
From the Editor: Sorry we forgot to mention that appeals from the Board of Education can be made to the Realm of Bricklyn Superior Court, at which time evidence can be presented and legal arguments made. Further appeal is possible to the Realm of Bricklyn Supreme Court, though it is up the Supreme Court whether to accept an appeal from a Superior Court ruling. Finally, all members of Bricklyn’s judiciary must be citizens of Bricklyn, and none have been appointed by any U.S. president. Appointments to the five member Supreme Court are made by vote of the Federal Council; but appointees must also receive a “qualified” rating from the Executive Committee of the Bricklyn Bar Association. Appointments to the Superior Court are made by the President of the Federal Council, and also require a “qualified rating” from the Bar Association.
To the Editor: It seems to me that banning Patricia Pater Perry from competing for the Bricklyn Striders track team is discriminatory, and that is the long and short of it. — From I.S. [California]
To the Editor: I was dismayed to learn that the BofE [Board of Education] in Bricklyn would not let a “small person” student play sports because her body parts are different — and I assume they think this is an advantage compared to other student bodies. This is clearly discrimination, which has no place in a school for all students learning together about the world and their community. Shame on them. Of course some athletes are better than others. That is what learning/living together in a diverse community is all about. I would hope the BofE is not looking to delete anyone who is different. One could argue this student’s longer legs are a disadvantage: she has further to fall and could be more severely hurt if she did; she cannot rotate her hands and catch herself if she did fall, she can’t move her legs separately. So what’s the advantage really? I protest this dismissal. As another famous governor — and the most popular one in the above ground [Outland] U.S. world, Phil Scott [of Vermont] said about school discrimination of athletes, “let (all) the students play.” — From Nancy, a concerned observer. Vermont.
To the Editor: Transfer student Perry should be grateful for having the opportunity to study for a year in Bricklyn, the Greatest of all Inland Realms. Instead, she and her parents are complaining about so-called discrimination. The people really being discriminated against are Bricklyn-born and raised athletes who have normal size LEGO figures, and not extra long arms and legs, and slender torsos. Keep Bricklyn Great! — From T.B.S., South Bricklyn, VT.
From the Editor: Just a quick note. While The Bricklyn Eagle is aimed at readers living in Outland communities, we do have a few subscribers from within Bricklyn and several other Inland communities. In light of this, we have decided to publish their Letters to the Editor to give readers the broadest perspective possible.
To the Editor: As you note Perry is so called a “mini person”, and in words I have sung before about mini people:
They got mini hands
And mini eyes
And they walk around
Tellin’ great big lies
They got mini noses
And tiny mini teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty mini feet
Well, I don’t want no mini people
Don’t want no mini people
Don’t want no mini people
‘Round here
I think that says it all! P.S. – -Yes, of course my song is all about how idiotic it is to discriminate against mini people. Go Perry! — From: Your friend, Randy Newbrick
From the Editor: It is unclear who exactly this “Randy Newbrick” is, or where he is from. But Gloria Vanderbrick of our staff thought this old video might shed some light.
