Exposing Disparity: Title IX Failures at Champaign Centennial
In the first of many investigations to come, IX Initiative details the failures of Title IX in softball and baseball facilities at Champaign Centennial High School in Illinois.
Champaign, Ill — On an unusually warm February day, the IX Initiative was born. Champaign, known for the University of Illinois, sets the stage for the first leg in our journey. It all starts at Champaign Centennial High School, home of the Chargers and their stunning powder blue and white school colors.
Arriving at their campus, I see a freshly renovated football field, which they share with their crosstown rival, Champaign Central. After a bit of searching, I make my way across their soccer field and come across the baseball and softball fields situated at the south end of the campus. The distinctions become clear as I get closer, and the rabbit hole of inequity is only beginning.
Simply having a better facility isn't automatically a problem under Title IX, as long as it doesn't create unfairness. However, in cases where softball and baseball facilities are the only ones not shared by both genders, there's a much higher risk of running into Title IX issues. In the case of Centennial's baseball and softball facilities, the differences are clear and straightforward examples of what leads to an iron clad Title IX case.
Photo: The top represents the dugouts at the Centennial softball field, while the bottom represents the baseball dugouts.
At a fundamental level, the absence of amenities like bullpens, field lights, and a press box for softball compared to baseball is sufficient to warrant consideration for a Title IX complaint. Delving further into the matter, the differences become more pronounced. While the baseball team enjoys enclosed dugouts constructed from concrete, prominently displaying the school's colors, logo, and name, the softball team has wooden dugouts in decent condition, lacking any distinctive features beyond the school colors.
Baseball has access to a top-notch mobile batting cage, similar to what you see in the big leagues or college games, and they also have a tarp to protect their plate and pitcher’s mound. Softball didn’t have any visible access to any tarps or a batting cage for their field. Moreover, baseball enjoys a warning track along the outfield wall and a wind screen, which softball lacks.
On the softball field, the only standout feature is the scoreboard, which displays the school logo, name, and nickname, and it's quite nice. However, baseball boasts an even more impressive scoreboard: It's state-of-the-art, showcasing the same school features but also includes inning-by-inning tracking and is adorned with signs from sponsors and community supporters. It's about three times the size of the softball scoreboard. As you might expect, softball doesn't have any of these enhancements.
Photo: On the top, softball’s area for a scorekeeper. On the bottom, baseball’s fully enclosed press box with a PA capable system and adequate area for a scorekeeper.
As mentioned earlier, simply having better facilities isn't automatically a Title IX violation. What crosses the line is when these differences deny softball players similar opportunities and resources that the baseball program enjoys due to the amenities provided at each facility.
The IX Initiative had a meeting with the Champaign School District on March 5th, with the next steps to be determined. In our communication, we shared the outcomes of the Title IX assessment carried out on the baseball and softball facilities at Centennial. The assessment revealed that baseball scored 205 for facilities, while softball received a score of 100.
The significant disparities encompassed press boxes, dugouts, field lights, signage, and public support, among other noted issues. At present, the IX Initiative has drafted a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Civil Rights Division, for violating the Title IX section of the Education Amendments of 1972. The filing is pending communication outcomes with the Champaign School District on the issues.
What a lopsided complaint. The baseball field has existed long before the softball and has had that many more years for the work of the students, parents, boosters and donors to get those things whined about in the story. I painted the team name on the dugout. I painted the mural. I painted the Charger C on their old scoreboard (which wouldn't work half the time). My son-in-law worked his off maintaining the field, hanging the donor banners, and assisting all that he could. And we weren't the only parents ad supporters. No one could even pull weeds at the sofball field. Give it another 20 years and maybe it will look better too.
You need to look at facility disparities between Champaign Central and Centennial.