HS parents file Title IX suit for unsafe softball field

[MNDad]

The OCR recognizes boys sports traditionally have greater access to funds from the community and booster programs. When they investigate a school district it doesn't matter where the funds come from, they only look at disparities that may exist. One thing to note is the OCR will look at the programs as a whole and not just baseball and softball. The District could still be in compliance with Title IX if the girls have an inferior softball field if for example the volleyball team has exceptional facilities.

 

[CoogansBluff]

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.

Question then becomes whether it's appropriate for a school to allow boosters to enhance a boys facility considerably more than a girls facility, or vice-versa.

It's generally always a baseball-softball or locker room issue since most everything else is shared (ie, soccer fields, tracks, tennis courts, gyms, etc.)

One solution is for the athletic department to view baseball and softball and their facilities to be part of one complex. So you must volunteer your time and money to the complex, not one portion of it.

 

[djcarter1966]

I think the issue is they said they used left over bond money (taxpayer money) and spent $5M upgrading sports facilities and the girls got a $16,000 scoreboard while the boys got much better improvements.

stuff like this always happens my guess it they did not ask the softball coach what was needed, they would have got a different answer.

But again everything is relative, we play almost all our games (including home games) in city parks, no locker rooms, sometimes depending on where it is...a porta potty, sometimes adult fences (only a couple) but hey what ya gonna do.

 

[quincy]

We have very nice scoreboards on our fields, I think I have seen them used twice.

No one, myself included, wants to run them.

 

[djcarter1966]

We have very nice scoreboards on our fields, I think I have seen them used twice.

No one, myself included, wants to run them.

I usually don't mind; it's the best seat in the house...but biggest problem is no down time gotta pay attention no excuses because there is nothing the fans hate more than a clown running the scoreboard who does not know what they are doing and is not paying attention

 

[OlatheDad]

We are lucky here. The school district built basic practice fields at each of the 4 high schools (#5 opens in 2017), but also built two large completion complexes. Each complex has a football stadium, soccer stadium, tennis court area, two baseball fields and two softball fields. Last year the pulled all the grass out and replaced it with artificial grass on the football, soccer and softball fields, Baseball infield was replaced and now only has grass in the outfield. The baseball and softball fields are built the same with batting cages on all fields. Most of the schools in this area have gone this route to save money in the long run.

The parents and students consider themselves lucky to have such high quality fields in this district.

 

[hssoftball101]

They have a good field. It's better than our city park field that we play at. We have to play there because our baseball and softball fields have too many amenities...such as soda cans, milk cartons, chip bags and food trays. But I agree that the softball and baseball fields should be equal. If their bball field is so much better, how is that going to make the girls feel?

 

[Angus]

Could Title IX ever apply to a municipality? Where we lived before, the disparity in facilities (owned by the town) between baseball and softball were egregious.

 

[quincy]

Yes but you need deep pockets. It will take years to resolve.

 

[MNDad]

Could Title IX ever apply to a municipality? Where we lived before, the disparity in facilities (owned by the town) between baseball and softball were egregious.

Contact your state’s Department of Human Rights. They’ll let you know if there’s enough to file a complaint. If so, you won’t be required to pay anything for them to investigate it. It will take years though as Quincy said.