Law firm issues statement on Title IX suit over girls softball field
Press release:
On April 5, Empire Justice Center filed a class-action suit against Batavia City
School District on behalf of three female softball players and their families, alleging wide disparities in treatment between girls’ softball and boys’ baseball.
Title IX forbids all federally funded entities from discriminating on the basis of sex. We are proud of the girls and their families for joining the ranks of so many brave Title IX plaintiffs over the course of history who have stood up for their civil rights and helped to level the playing field for women in sports.
In the words of one federal judge in another Title IX case, “[e]ach day these inequalities go unredressed, the members of the girls’ softball team, prospective members, students, faculty and the community at large, are sent a clear message that girls’ high school varsity softball is not as worthy as boys’ high school varsity baseball, i.e. that girls are not as important as boys.”
While we must refrain from commenting on the merits of pending litigation, we would like to make clear that had the Batavia School District agreed to commit to any concrete plans to remedy the inequities between girls’ softball and boys’ baseball by a specific date, there would have been no need for a lawsuit. As soon as the district makes a binding commitment, the case will be resolved.
As stated in the complaint, the Plaintiffs do not ask to take anything from their male classmates; nor are the girls asking for their own Dwyer Stadium (a request that they recognize would not be feasible). They are fans of the boys’ team and will continue to show their support by attending Blue Devils games at Dwyer regardless of the outcome of the case. They simply want equitable facilities to play on, as well as recognition that their athletic endeavors are as worthy as those of their male classmates.
