How We See It – Soccer suit is dead wrong

(2 Votes)

Written by TSI Editorial Staff | 01 March 2010

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A group of parents of players on the girls' soccer team at Central High School has filed suit against the school system, charging that the system discriminates against female athletes.
In the coming weeks and months, the public will have the opportunity to sort out the facts in the case. Coffee County Schools, which were served papers Monday in the Title IX discrimination lawsuit, have yet to issue a response. But based on what is already known about sports funding, our response is to ask, is this lawsuit truly necessary?

The lawsuit cites funding for the CSH football program as evidence of discrimination. What it doesn't mention is that most of the funding for football, as well as other girls' sports, comes not from the school system, but from fundraising efforts by athletes and their families and booster clubs.
Thanks mainly to such efforts, the school's football and baseball teams enjoy $40,000 annual budgets. The Lady Raider softball team has an annual budget only slightly less, at $38,000, so its questionable whether gender discrimination is hurting female athletes at the school.
Local sports clubs at most local schools actually work to raise the money for needed equipment and facilities. Apparently working a lucrative Bonnaroo booth like most teams do, isn’t on the agenda for the group of parents and the head coach who are behind the litigation.
It is also open to question whether, even if discrimination against the girls' soccer program does exist, a lawsuit is the best way to resolve the problem. If the plaintiffs eventually win, the result will be a financial loss to the school system, leaving the system with less funds for all athletic programs, soccer included.
What precedent will be set for future suits if this goes through?
As of this editorial, the Coffee County golf team has no golf course of their own. Does that mean a lawsuit is to follow for a school-sponsored 18?
What this is is a shameful distraction for a cash-strapped school system that in no reasonable universe is purposefully discriminating against anyone. This lawsuit is bad for the community morale, and is morally just plain wrong.

Comments (3)

I agree completely with this editorial. The plaintiffs have the same ability to conduct fundraisers as other groups. Take this route instead of litigation that further burdens the system. This reminds me of young adults, that immediately expect to live as well as their parents, who worked decades to achieve what they have. Football and Baseball boosters have been at this a long time. Is there a Girls Soccer booster club?

A lawsuit can't be brought based on funds raised OUTSIDE the school. That is NOT what Title IX is about. If it can be proven that the underrepresented sex (in this case "girls") is not being given equal consideration in all the same ways as "boys"...then this suit can be won by the ladies soccer team. The regulation has more to do with proportions than anything else. Looking at it from the outside, I'd say it's a slam-dunk win for the Ladies Soccer team. The school could lose all federal funding and rightfully so if these bears out to be true. Anyone raising daughters in this county should be digging into this and asking some hard questions. TSI would do well to educate the public with the finer points of Title IX...it's not about "good ole boy" politics.

If anyone retaliates in ANY way against any of the teachers, parents, or students involved in this suit.......even threating phone calls made by the public at large......Title IX covers that too and is another form of discrimination which is more easily substantiated. I don't know the coach...I may know some of the young ladies but not aware if they are on this team.....nonetheless, I don't think they would stick their necks out onto your obvious chopping block unless they felt it was necessary. I prefer to hear the merits before I start slamming these individuals on a personal basis (I believe that would be called a responsible editorial..one that provokes thought but doesn't incite retaliation).

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