Ryan Andresen, a 17-year-old high school senior from California has been told by the Boy Scouts that he is not eligible to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout because he is gay.

He recently completed the final requirements to earn his Eagle Award, including his final project of building a “tolerance wall” for victims of bullying, much like himself.

Late Thursday, the Boy Scouts of America issued a statement saying that because of Ryan’s sexual orientation and that he did not agree to Scouting’s principle of “Duty to God,” “he is no longer eligible for membership in Scouting.”