Weak argument or not, it's rooted in pragmatism. We both want the same thing, but filling the coffers of a law firm, or two, or three benefits the lawyers and takes money away from the very issue the plaintiffs are seeking to remedy.
I just re-read the article. It does say one family has "...complained about Title IX violations and/or “unfair treatment” of female student athletes “for years”, according to the lawsuit.", and they recently received a trite and unacceptable answer from unnamed "High School Officials". However, it doesn't give us the rest of the story. Real change in a school district can only be made through the school board, which is comprised of elected officials, presumably accountable to their constituents. Half of the school population are female, so there should be plenty of support for change. The easy way out is to run off to attorney and clog up the courts with a lawsuit that could potentially be avoided.
The only point I was attempting to make is by building support within the community through success and strong lobbying efforts would result in lasting change. The lawsuit will only divide the community and drain precious resources. Legal action may be the only way to bring resolution to the problem, but it should be the avenue of last resort. I think you'll find most who have been involved in litigation will concur.
So in your view it is OK that the school built a huge baseball complex for the boys and have no plans to build anything for the girls. Where was the concern for 'draining precious resources' when this was going up? Oh wait, there wasn't because you know... boys sports.
Most of these cases there was plenty of lobbying from the girls side but a) most people are only there for four years so administrations just wait people out 2) there is no incentive to change unless there is some threat hanging over and 3) the less privileged are worried about retribution from the people who control the money - and rightly so - one local case involved death threats because they couldn't let the school install a $1M score board for football when all their other sports couldn't even get uniforms.
This is what happens all the time. This is not a rare event. This is the story in the majority of these cases and in way too many cases that should be.
How long are the girls meant to wait? Another 40 years? Locally one program was promised a re-done softball field, proper dugouts and a set of bleachers for fans for the last 10 years. In that time - new baseball field, new football field (plus stands, scoreboard, lockers and weight room (which only entrance was THROUGH THE BOYS LOCKER ROOM), lights for the boys soccer field (but not the girls) and the movement of 75% of girls sports to mid-week nights to allow more boys games on 'prime' nights). Last year they finally got their Title IX complaint in and scheduled... And surprise, surprise... new softball field broke ground last month and the lights on the girls soccer field are going up in summer.
Title IX cases makes the school board care. Otherwise there is no incentive for them to act - so they won't.
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