Fake leg stirs cries of unfairness in swim league

ATLANTA, Gla. --Hunter Scott was a star swimmer - winning medals in amateur swimming leagues - even before he started using the prosthetic leg that allowed him to wear the flippers other kids used in races.

But the parents of other children claim the leg gave Hunter an unfair advantage. Last month, the DeKalb Atlanta Swim and Diving league banned him from competitions.

Hunter was born with a birth defect that kept his left leg from growing past the knee. His parents said the plastic leg, designed to be fitted with a flipper, only helped his balance. They threatened to sue the swim board.

"This was never about money," his mother, Amanda Scott, said. "This was about doing the right thing." All 10 board members of the 3,000-member league resigned rather than face a lawsuit.

"It's been traumatic for a lot of people," former board member Mike McCarter said. "It's questionable whether the organization will stay intact." The board members offered no evidence that Hunter's prosthetic leg, which he started using in competitions last year, helped him swim any faster than competitors.

-- AP