Hi, Nan.
I am no expert on Title IX, but Lindgren and Taub's "The Law of Sex
Discrimination" has a section on the subject (pp 276-311). 45 C.F.R. Sec.
86.41 of Title IX addresses the question of school athletics with a broad
prohibition:
"No person shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, be treated differently from another person or
otherwise be discriminated against in any interscholastic, intercollegiate,
club, or intramural athletics offered by a recipient, and no recipient shall
provide any such athletics separately on such basis."
In the section above, "recipient" refers to a recipient of federal financial
support. The section goes on to list exceptions, however. My reading of
the section and Lindgren and Taub's analysis leads me to conclude that there
is a question as to whether soccer is considered a contact sport. If it is
not, there may be no way to justify single-sex teams. If it is considered,
along with boxing, wrestling, and basketball, among other sports, to be a
contact sport, then single-sex teams may be justified. Single-sex teams can
be permitted for noncontact sports "if a team is for the excluded sex is
also sponsored in that sport," from Lindgren and Taub. In other words, your
instincts are right on.
You might check out www.feminist.org/research/sports12.html or the
feminist.org homepage for advice.
Again, I am no expert in this area, and it sounds like you could use a
better qualified mind on this than mine, but I hope this helps. Hopefully,
some wonderful Title IX attorney will get your request for information and
arm you appropriately to "storm into the principal's office." Please keep
us all posted and good luck!
Abrazos,
Sam Medlock
Student Environmental Action
Texas Woman's University
817/975-4126
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
*******
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
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- Margaret Mead
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-----Original Message-----
From: Nan Swane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Saturday, March 06, 1999 1:01 PM
Subject: Title IX/high school girls' sports help needed!!!
>Hi all!
>An employee of mine (Beth) is an 11th grade student at a public high
>school and was on the girls' soccer team last year when the team made
>it to championships. This year there is no team for her because they
>cannot find a coach! They have an entire team and told the school's
>administrators they could just coach themselves, but are not being
>permitted to do so. There is a boys' soccer team (surprise, surprise)
>with TWO coaches, but the school will not come up with a girls' soccer
>coach. Isn't this a Title IX violation? Correct me if I'm wrong, but
>I thought Title IX made schools provide equal opportunity for
>girls/womens sports. I need some help on this before I go storming
>into the principal's office. (I don't have kids, but my young
>employee's are surrogates.) Someone please enlighten me about Title
>IX. (This is sort of an emergency.) Thanks so much, Nan
>
>
>
>
>==
>Nan Swane, DVM
>Pet Haven Veterinary Clinic and Humane Society
>Nampa, Idaho 83651
>208-466-2948
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Please spay/neuter all pets before even one litter!
>
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>
