He won an essay contest and a trip. But then he was disqualified — for being autistic, his family says

On paper, the Odd Fellows, a national fraternal organization, loved Niko Boskovic.

The Portland, Oregon, teen’s essay on the history of Ukraine was thoughtful and well-written, his letters of recommendation praised him, and his interviews with local lodge members went well. Boskovic was the “clear winner” of the local Portland lodge’s essay contest, which meant he had earned a trip to visit the United Nations, according to The Oregonian.

But once the national organization learned that Boskovic, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, is autistic and would need a chaperone in New York City, their tune changed, his family says.

After several emails and calls went unanswered, Boskovic’s mother, Loreta Boskovic, received an email from the organization’s executive director.

“The Board of Directors has instructed me to tell you this delegate will not be accepted for the tour,” the director wrote, per The Oregonian.

Loreta said she never received a written explanation for why her son was rejected from the trip, per KGW.

“We can't get any explanation in writing from them, but when I spoke with the gentleman who’s the board chair for the UN Youth Program, he said ‘we are not equipped to accept people with disabilities,’” Loreta said.

According to KPTV, the national organization told the Boskovics that they have rejected winners in the past with wheelchairs too.

Niko was diagnosed with autism when he was 3, according to KPTV. Because of his condition, he finds it hard to speak, and his family instead gave him a letter board several years ago, which Niko uses to spell out words.

“The first time we got more into what do you think about x, y or z, it was fascinating. It was fascinating to finally hear his voice,” Loreta told KPTV about when Niko first got the letter board.

In response to the organization’s rejection, the local lodge has pledged not to participate in the essay-writing contest again until the rules are amended to include those with disabilities.

“It’s disappointing and it’s disgusting, and it has really made many, many people upset,” David Scheer, the secretary of the local Odd Fellows Lodge, told KPTV.

Scheer said he has heard nothing from the national organization except a refund of the money the lodge had raised for Niko to travel.

Meanwhile, Niko and his family have pledged to fight back, with the help of Disability Rights Oregon, an advocacy group. They are arguing that in rejecting Niko because of his autism, they are violating his civil rights.

“Not only was I willing to learn,” Niko spelled about the trip to KGW. “But I wanted to be an ambassador, of sorts.

“Really, these people are making this into a civil rights case.”

According to The Oregonian, the timing of this year’s trip makes it unlikely that Niko will be able to attend. However, the contest is open to juniors and sophomores, so he could reapply next year.

Odd Fellows has not responded to requests for comment from multiple media organizations or provided any statement on the controversy.

This story was originally published April 30, 2017 at 10:34 PM with the headline "He won an essay contest and a trip. But then he was disqualified — for being autistic, his family says."