By Kayan Brown and Bill
Teenage Soccer Player “Scores” Victory Against Abusive Soccer Coach
Parents contacted the Foundation with concerns about their daughter, Sarah’s club team soccer coaches. Their daughter, a senior in high school, had discovered a year earlier that one of the coaches was having an inappropriate and unethical relationship with one of her teammates. Their daughter told them that she had been pressured to keep this relationship secret for the last year, but believed the coach was wrong for what he was doing and she feared for the well-being of her friend and teammate. The coach had met with Sarah privately, engaged her in a conversation about the relationship, and told her she had to keep it secret, or else he would get into a lot of trouble.
The situation was more complicated as the head coach was the father of the coach having the inappropriate and unethical relationship with the minor player. Sarah began to challenge the coach to stop abusing her friend. As a result of her challenging behavior, the head coach began to “bully” Sarah by emotionally abusing her during practice, sent her home from practice three times and made her run laps without shoes.
At her last practice, Sarah was sent home after demanding that the all the coaches meet with the seniors on the team because “something had happened last year (the coach’s inappropriate and unethical relationship”) that was never discussed and it had a big impact on everyone and needed to be discussed now. The head coach shouted her down, telling her he “had not given her permission to speak” and then kicked her out of practice.
After feeling abused enough by the coaches, Sarah finally decided to confide in her parents.
Her parents began the difficult process of holding the coach accountable. Fortunately, key parents, supported the complaint against the coaches filed by Sarah’s parents.
The Advocacy Department explained that the situation constituted sexual harassment which Title IX strictly prohibits. We provided the parents with information and assistance in helping design the steps needed to rectify the problem with the coaches and provided contact with an expert in the field. The situation progressed and the parents took action against the coaches.
Success:
The Foundation's advice worked! Sarah’s parents filed a complaint with the state’s youth soccer association, who sanctioned the coach for his inappropriate relationship with the minor player and rebuked his father, the head coach, for not taking appropriate action.
Applause To:
Sarah, a courageous teen soccer player
Parent Scores Victory Against Daughter's Abusive Coach
A parent contacted the Foundation regarding her daughter’s abusive basketball coach. The mother felt that the coach was verbally and emotionally abusive toward her daughter and other members of the basketball team. The mother said the coach has a long history of mentally and verbally abusing the girls. For example, she said the coach used profanity towards the players if they performed badly, made references about sexual acts and forced the team to practice longer if they lost games. The mother contacted other parents with similar concerns and scheduled a meeting with the athletic director to discuss the problems and lack of opportunities for the girls at their high school. The mother said the school has admitted that the coach did engage in illegal practices, but she believes the coach had not been disciplined because of the relationship he had with the administration. The Advocacy Department explained that Title IX prohibits sexual harassment and provided the mother with an attorney referral and recommended she contact the Office of Civil Rights. We also sent her
Verbal, Physical and Psychological Abuse of Athletes: The Foundation Position, a paper that explains what constitutes verbal and psychological harassment and how athletes and parents can stand up for the athletes’ rights.
The Advocacy Department also explained to her that the best situation seems to be “play the political game.” The parent had already begun this process, but to give her additional guidance we sent her the article
Step-by-Step: A Practical Guide to Assessing and Getting Gender Equity, a resource that gives activists a detailed, step-by-step plan for achieving gender equity and for more ideas on how to develop an action plan.
Success:
The Advocacy Department’s advice worked! The parent followed the steps that we provided and met with administrators. Shortly after the meeting, the school conducted an investigation and concluded the coach was verbally and sexually abusive the players. As a result of the findings, the coach has quit and the school is searching for a new person to fill the position.
Applause to:
Kelly, WV, a concerned parent
Women's Professional Association Prevents Hostile Takeover
Jymmy Kay Davis, president of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), contacted the Foundation for assistance because the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) was engaging in a hostile takeover and trying to assume exclusive control over women's rodeo barrel racing. Davis feared that a takeover would mean an end to equal treatment for women in this sport. The Advocacy Department assisted the women's association in devising a political strategy to prevent the takeover and created an action alert on the Foundation's Web site to encourage the sponsors of the national tournament not to exclude the Women's Professional Rodeo Association. This situation has progressed and the women's professional sport association has taken legal action against the men's organization.
Success:The trial between the WPRA and PRCA ended on an amazing note. The jury found the PCA guilty of misappropriation of the WPRA's business and breech of fiduciary duty. The WPRA was awarded $6.8 million. This was a tremendous victory for women in all sports, and especially for the oldest organized women's sporting association in America, the WPRA.
Applause to:Jymmy Kay Davis, WPRA President
Parents Fight for Daughters to Have Own Team
A mother contacted the Foundation for assistance in obtaining funding for a high school team for her daughter. Her daughter would like to start a girls' soccer team but the school was not willing to fund this team even though 54 girls at the school have expressed interest. Currently the school sponsors a boys' soccer team that has a few female players. The Advocacy Department explained that Title IX requires schools to provide comparable participation opportunities for its female and male athletes, and if the school was not fulfilling this requirement, the parent could use Title IX compliance as a venue to press for the addition of the team. We sent her
Playing Fair, a resource that explains Title IX rules and regulations to help athletes, coaches, parents and others better analyze their school's athletic programs;
Steps to Take to Get Gender Equity, a resource that gives activists a detailed, step-by-step plan for achieving gender equity; and referred her to our online assessment tool to evaluate her school's compliance with Title IX.
Success:The Advocacy Department's advice worked! The parent followed-up with a Title IX attorney to pursue the compliance angle and apply legal pressure to the school. After months of negotiations, the school the school agreed to start a girls' soccer team for the 2008 spring season.
Applause to:Kim, soccer parent
Michigan
Baseball Goes to "Bat" For Equity
A female baseball player contacted the Foundation because she was told she could not play baseball because her school had a softball team. The Advocacy Department explained that under Title IX, a girl has the right to tryout for the school baseball team, even if a softball team exists. The Advocacy Department discussed with her how she should try to get support from parents, the athletic department, and the community, and educate them on Title IX and her rights to play baseball. We also sent her
Playing Fair and
Steps to Take to Get Gender Equity and walked her step-by-step through these processes and the best way to approach the situation.
Success:The Foundation's advice worked! After reading the information the Advocacy Department sent, this player went directly to the athletic director and educated him on the situation and her right to compete on the baseball team under Title IX. Two days later, the athletic director and the varsity coach gave her permission to tryout for the team. She is currently conditioning with the team and will tryout in February.
Applause to:Jeanette, baseball player
Slippery Rock University Athletes Honored for Standing Up for Equity
The Women's Sports Foundation honored 12 athletes of Slippery Rock University who filed a Title IX lawsuit against the school when it eliminated women's field hockey, women's swimming and women's water polo.
The members of these teams filed Title IX complaints against the school when they recognized they were receiving worse treatment than the boys' teams received. Slippery Rock soon after announced its decision to cut these women's teams.
After this decision came down the teams decided to sue the school under Title IX.
Success: The U.S. Chief District judge ordered Slippery Rock to reinstate all three teams and the 12 athletes reached a comprehensive settlement with the school. In April, the Women's Sports Foundation awarded the 12 athletes and three teams with Geena Takes Aim Resolutions in honor of their dedication to sport and commitment to equity. The Geena Takes Aim National Resolution is a Women's Sports Foundation recognition program honoring individuals and groups who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment in pursuit of gender equity, civil rights and social justice in sport.
Applause to:The 12 athletes who defended their rights under Title IX: Elizabeth Choike, Ashley Stoner, Heather Walbright, Jessica Student, Jennifer Venet, Alison Nuckols and other members of the Slippery Rock University women's water polo, field hockey and swimming teams.
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