Utah Teen with Down Syndrome 'Distraught' After He's Allegedly Stripped of Boy Scout Merit Badges

Fifteen-year-old Logan Blythe has long “faced exclusion and isolation” due to his Down syndrome. So, the Payson, Utah, teen was ecstatic when he learned that he’d be allowed to enroll in the Boy Scouts of America.

However, after two years of working hard to earn more than two dozen merit badges, Logan’s world was turned upside down when officials revoked his badges, claiming he could not meet the requirements of an Eagle Scout due to his condition, which has led to developmental delays and limited verbal skills, according to a lawsuit filed by Logan’s father, Chad Blythe.

“He was let down. Hurt. You could see in his mannerisms that he was not happy,” Chad tells PEOPLE. “Since then, we’ve only been able to get him to wear his scout uniform one time. He won’t even go near it. He looks visibly distraught when we talk about this.”

In the lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Salt Lake City, Chad alleges that Jan Hermel, of the Utah National Parks Council (UNCP) — a chartered partner of the Boy Scouts —said in 2015 that there were “several options available” to help Logan succeed in the program. However, the suit states, when the family attempted to submit Logan’s already-approved Eagle Scout project to the council in 2017, an official, Debby Roberts, rejected it.

“I have been asked to suspend Logan’s Eagle Project approval. Please do not do any more work on his project,” Roberts told the family in an email obtained by PEOPLE that was filed in court. “When National was contacted about possible alternates, we were told that for Star.Life [sic] and Eagle Ranks, there are no alternates. The Young [sic] man MUST do the requirements as written, including leadership responsibilities.” Roberts added: “I sincerely apologize and regret any false hope we have given. I hope that you will consider keeping Logan registered beyond his 18th birthday, in hopes that someday perhaps he can communicate with others through future technology or what have you.”

The suit also alleges that UNCP officials told the family that Logan had not achieved any of the merit badges “in the eyes of the Boy Scouts.” Chad says the family had a meeting with the council, where officials said that Logan’s condition made him unable to adequately complete the tasks required to earn the badges. Logan quickly became depressed, his dad says. “It really has affected him. He was looking forward to an opportunity to do his Eagle Project and do different things with his friends,” Chad tells PEOPLE of his son. “But that got yanked out from under him.

However, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America tells PEOPLE that Logan’s merit badges are still documented and recognized by the organization. “They’ve never been revoked,” the official says, adding that Logan is still recognized as a Boy Scout. The spokesman, Effie Delimarkos, says Boy Scout officials have reached out to the Blythe family, offering a new process and path for Logan to earn his Eagle Scout rank. Delimarkos says the organization has not heard back from the Blythe family.

“The project was declined, but that doesn’t mean his path was declined,” she says. “We do support scouts with special needs and disabilities and have for a very long time.” However, Chad and his attorney, Ted McBride, say neither of them have heard from the Boy Scouts of America about the matter. Officials with the UNCP declined to comment, referring all media requests to the national organization.