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SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Jim Dabakis on Wednesday honored a Payson teenager from the Senate floor who he said he believes has changed history.
Logan Blythe, 15, was involved in a lawsuit that claimed he was not accepted into a Boy Scouts of America Alternative Eagle Scout Program due to his mental disability.
Logan, who has Down syndrome, and his family members said he was denied approval to complete the program because he would not be able to fulfill the requirements due to his disability.
The lawsuit has since been dropped. BSA officials told KSL in March that the Eagle Scout certification was still, and had always been, available to Logan.
On the Senate floor, Dabakis had high praise for Logan, comparing him to trailblazers such as Harvey Milk, Nelson Mandela and Martha Hughes Cannon.
“I think the young man sitting here has changed history,” Dabakis said. “That giant institution, the Boy Scouts of America, yielded to Logan Blythe and now there is a separate track for all Boy Scouts of America who are mentally challenged because of what this young man did.”
Logan’s father, Chad Blythe, said Thursday his son has one step left to get the Eagle Scout certification, but is still deciding whether or not he will finish the program.
Chad Blythe said he was blown away by Sen. Dabakis’ comments.
“It was great,” he said. “It was almost beyond words to describe. It was just fascinating and amazing.”
Dabakis commended Logan for challenging the status quo and for his commitment to working toward an Eagle Scout certification.
The senator asked his fellow lawmakers to give Logan, his family and his attorneys a round of thanks. Logan got a standing ovation from the Senate floor.
Chad Blythe said the reason they pushed for change was not just to help Logan, but also the next person who faced a similar problem. The main goal was to help other people with special needs, he said.
“If we’ve just had an eighth of the impact that Senator Dabakis mentioned, we’re thrilled,” Chad Blythe said. “We’re astounded, we’re overwhelmed, we’re so happy and glad that we could do something good.”
