NWLC files
Title IX suit
against CPS, others
The Chicago Public Schools is one of 12 school districts nationally that was called into question by the National Women's Law Center ( NWLC ) , which, on Nov. 10, filed complaints against those 12 school districts for failing to provide high school girls with equal opportunities to play sports in violation of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs.
These complaints, which are based on the schools' own data from 2006, reveal pervasive and growing inequities in the number of opportunities for girls to play sports in high school. This lack of opportunity is reflected in the fact that many schools do not offer girls' teams in such state-sanctioned sports as swimming, golf and tennis, according to the NWLC.
The complaints are part of NWLC's new campaign, Rally for Girls' Sports: She'll Win More than a Game, which aims to educate schools, the public and especially parents about the widespread inequality that girls face in school sports programs and to mobilize parents to press for change.
In addition to calling on the U.S. Department of Education to investigate this growing problem, the Rally for Girls' Sports initiative features advocacy and outreach to parents and other adults, including a Facebook and Twitter campaign, and a national hotline ( 1-855-HERGAME ) .
"These 12 school districts are the tip of the iceberg," said NWLC Co-President Marcia Greenberger. "Nationwide, only 41 percent of all high school athletes are girls, even though they make up half the student population. That means schools are giving girls 1.3 million fewer opportunities than boys to play sports nationwide. It's past time to rally for girls in high school sports."
NWLC filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights ( OCR ) in varied school districts, one in each of the 12 OCR regions. The complaints outline the lack of opportunities to play sports that girls face in each district and call on OCR to investigate and remedy the inequities.
In addition to the Chicago Public Schools, the other school districts named in the complaint are: Clark County School District ( Nev. ) , Columbus City Schools ( Ohio ) , Deer Valley Unified School District ( Ariz. ) , Henry County Schools ( Ga. ) , Houston Independent School District ( Texas ) , Irvine Unified School District ( Calif. ) , New York City Department of Education ( N.Y. ) , Oldham County Schools ( Kent. ) , Sioux Falls School District ( S.D. ) , Wake County Public School System ( N.C. ) and Worcester Public Schools ( Mass. ) .
The school districts named by the NWLC complaint have high schools with double-digit gaps between the percentage of students who are girls and the percentage of athletes who are girls, according to the school districts' data, and are representative of the widespread lack of athletic opportunities that girls face.
"It's unfair to girls to deny [ girls ] the many benefits that come from playing sports," said NWLC Senior Counsel Neena Chaudhry. "When girls have the chance to play, they win more than a game. Let's help our daughters and our sons lead healthier, happier and more successful lives."
Red Stars given
Dec. 15 deadline
for more investors
The Chicago Red Stars and Women's Professional Soccer ( WPS ) have announced that Chicago has been granted a Dec. 15 deadline to secure investment toward the league's reserve funding requirement for participation in 2011, according to a press release.
The Red Stars stated earlier this month in the team's 2011 capitalization plan that potential investors pulled out following the news of the Bay Area's and Washington's questionable futures. Now that Washington and WPS are stabilized, the Red Stars believe they can obtain additional investment to secure the organization's return for a third season in 2011.
"Chicago is pleased with the way WPS is working to ensure long-term sustainability of the league," said Red Stars' Arnim Whisler, speaking on behalf of Red Stars ownership. "Our intent is to play next season and put together a winning product in 2011. But we need some additional support from the Chicago investor community before we can make our final commitment to the league."