The lack of a softball field for Bromfield girls in 2019 led Monday’s School Committee meeting into a complex discussion of Title IX, the 1972 federal law that prohibits gender discrimination in school programs and activities.
The softball field on Ann Lees Road, which was supposed to be ready for the Bromfield girls varsity team last April, is still unusable (see “Contractor will finish Ann Lees field,”). While the School Committee is not directly involved with the Ann Lees field construction, the impact on a girls sport has led some parents and community members to ask if the school is violating Title IX.
Only the schools, not the town, are covered by Title IX. But, because many sports teams are organized through the schools, the schools could be held responsible for inequality created indirectly by other town boards or committees. So, as a first step, School Superintendent Linda Dwight requested the school district’s law firm to explain the district’s obligations under Title IX.
Based on that memo, Dwight told the committee that compliance is measured in several ways. By the measurement of participation, she said, Bromfield is doing well, with about equal numbers of male and female students taking part in sports. That count, she said, was based on separate individuals who participate in sports, to avoid over-counting students who play on several teams.
On other measures of compliance, Dwight said, the school still has work to do. She cited fundraising by booster clubs as one such area. When booster clubs put money into sports for one gender, she explained, Title IX requires that money be found to restore equality in funding.
In the words of the memo, “All money or equipment received by a district’s athletic programs is considered funding by the district regardless of the source [italics in the original]. … If, for example, a booster group replaces used men’s football equipment with new equipment, the district may have to buy new equipment for women’s sports. The district’s only other option is to reject the donation.”
School Committee member Sharlene Cronin represents the schools on the Athletic Field Planning Subcommittee of the Parks and Recreation Commission. She said the subcommittee needs to see how much Parks and Rec has spent on field maintenance, as well as how booster funds have been used, so that the School Committee can be sure the district is not left vulnerable to a Title IX complaint.
After the discussion by committee members, Chair John Ruark opened the meeting to public comments. Half a dozen people rose to speak, including coaches, parents, and student-athletes. All urged the committee to act quickly to assure that girls did have equal facilities and equal opportunities in athletics.
