Champaign Unit 4 Takes on Title IX Concerns at Centennial and Central High Schools

While these steps may appear ambiguous to some, they signify progress and represent a minor triumph for female athletes at Centennial and Central.

Champaign, Ill — They recognize that achieving victory will require long-term effort, yet they understand the importance of not remaining stagnant. Credit is due to Champaign Unit 4 for being on the right track. Significant strides are still needed in the quest for equity at Champaign Unit 4’s Centennial and Central schools, yet the school district is taking initial steps toward making this a reality.

The IX Initiative initiated this chain of events by emailing the district to outline Title IX issues observed at Champaign Centennial. Shortly after, the district organized a Zoom meeting to address and discuss the identified issues with input from both the IX Initiative and district stakeholders.

Within days, we provided further details on additional issues uncovered within Centennial's athletic department. Last week, the IX Initiative submitted a comprehensive report outlining Title IX concerns at Central, shedding light on potential challenges that could arise if legal action were pursued against Centennial, Central, or both schools.

The district has provided an update on its strategy moving forward in addressing this issue. Champaign Unit 4 has been engaging in regular meetings and briefings with administrators and district stakeholders to discuss our findings. This week, they informed the IX Initiative that their next steps include completing a self-assessment, convening a committee to analyze the findings, and crafting a plan based on that information.

While the steps might seem vague in the eyes of some, this is a step forward and a small victory for female athletes at Centennial and Central.

How This All Started

In late February, the IX Initiative reached out to Champaign Centennial's leadership with specific findings concerning suspected Title IX violations related to the baseball and softball facilities. The focus was on discernible differences in amenities between the fields, such as the presence of field lights, bullpens, dugouts, press boxes, and other features, which were available for baseball but not for softball.

Before and after the Zoom meeting, additional Title IX issues were brought to the school's attention. These included findings from a scheduling audit revealing that boys' sports received more home games despite the girls having more varsity programs. Furthermore, it was discovered that boys' basketball played 12 "prime time" games while the girls had none, violating Title IX precedent on equal competition opportunities. Similar findings led to federal complaints against a group of schools in Central Indiana last week.

Champaign Central’s Title IX Issues

Over the weekend, the IX Initiative shared a report with the district highlighting Title IX concerns at Champaign Central. The review identified issues in softball and baseball facilities, home scheduling, and basketball schedules. Specifically, the report raised concerns about the softball program's sponsorship and community support, as well as the unequal provision of baseball and softball fields.

Discrimination patterns emerged in home scheduling, with boys receiving 20% more home games over the past three seasons. This bias is particularly evident in dual-gender sports like basketball, tennis, and soccer, as well as in the comparison between baseball and softball. In each scenario, there are indications of unequal opportunities for girls' programs to host games compared to boys, suggesting a denial of equitable opportunities.

Similar to Centennial, the girls basketball program at Central had no "prime time" opportunities this past season and none over the past three seasons. In contrast, the boys participated in 26 such games during that period. This significant difference constitutes a clear violation of Title IX and could be the primary basis for a federal complaint against the district, in addition to other findings outlined in the report on Central.

The Path Ahead

The school district deserves credit for taking initial steps to address these issues, and with continued cooperation, they can be resolved without federal oversight. However, the IX Initiative remains committed to seeing the process through. If challenges arise or there are irreconcilable differences, legal action with a formal federal complaint may become necessary. At the moment though, things look promising as this process is only in the beginning stages of a long road ahead.