HS parents file Title IX suit for unsafe softball field

[sbmom19]

Interesting article. We call the baseball field at our HS "The Field of Dreams". State of the art field, dugouts and they even have a heated clubhouse with lockers and a TV...
WATCH: Lexington Parent Files Title IX Complaint for Unsafe Softball Fields - ABC Columbia

 

[MNDad]

I filed a similar complaint to the OCR regarding the boys playing on campus on a field full of amenities while the girls played at a city park. It took about six years to resolve, but the girls finally got new varsity and JV fields.

 

[Tatonka]

They have a two stall bathroom?! And their own batting cage? Everything is relative but that sounds like softball Shangri-La compared to a lot of girls HS softball facilities in this country!

 

[Comp]

Just from what was shown in that video that facility is better than about 80% of the high schools I officiate at.

 

[grcsftbll]

It sounds like the issue is not how the facilities compare to others around the country but how they compare to the boys' facilities in the same school. There's no reason why a boys' sport should have nicer, safer facilities and fields just because they're boys. Wanting a more even distribution sounds reasonable to me.

 

[Il softball fan]

Our softball field is as nice or nicer than the boys baseball field, but it wasn't thanks to the school. It is thanks to the coach, who around 6-7 years ago started a "junior" program for 10U- 12U teams. My dd was in that first group of girls who started those teams. The parents, coaches, players have all put in a ton of work and fund raising efforts to get the field to where it is now. The school district simply does not have the money. Since then, a new score board, batting cage/netting, dirt field overhaul, new bleachers, new padding around bottom of fence, dugouts have been painted and look great, and I am sure I am missing something. Coach spends a lot of time that he doesn't have to spraying weeds, painting, etc, but it looks good. Last night the booster club announced they are buying a tarp to cover the infield. It takes a lot of work, but there is more than one way to get it done. Glad this group of parents in the article are trying to change things, but there is more than one way to get it done.

 

[Comp]

The problem may not be with the school at all. The school itself may be spending the money as they should between the sports, the facilities for the baseball team may very well have been paid for through funds from the parents. The school my daughter went to the baseball facility was considerably nicer than the softball, but it was simply because the players parents donated materials, labor and money to improve it. We as parents of softball players also made considerable donations in labor, materials and money to improve the softball facilities. I built them several rolling screens, I gave them a 50' batting cage and frame, we all pitched in money and labor to build a locker room and storage shed etc etc etc. The school pitched in the funds to furnish the locker room with lockers, benches, a window AC unit etc.

Perhaps they should be looking at how much money is being donated by the baseball parents vs the softball parents.

 

[quincy]

DD's MS fields are great, the baseball field is assume.

We have brick and mortar bathrooms, that seems to be important.

 

[sluggers]

The school itself may be spending the money as they should between the sports, the facilities for the baseball team may very well have been paid for through funds from the parents. ... Perhaps they should be looking at how much money is being donated by the baseball parents vs the softball parents.

It doesn't matter where the money comes from. The school is required to keep the softball and baseball facilities similar.

 

[BobInMadison]

Madison, WI, is a little strange.
The softball fields are shared by two different high schools, James Madison Memorial and West HS, and also by the West Madison Little League.
The WMLL is going through a fundraising binge right now, to upgrade the baseball fields at WMLL, and also to upgrade the softball fields.
Get things like:
A bullpen on the Varsity field for pitchers to warm up.
Scoreboards.

As far as batting cages, the softball and baseball programs share the batting cages. The baseball and softball diamonds are quite a distance away from each other, and guess where the batting cages are?