Title IX Precedent Challenges Practices of Friday Night Boys Basketball
Is Friday night boys basketball discriminatory? Title IX's emerging stance on the issue in the Buckeye State.
In Northeast Ohio, near Cleveland, the Bay Village School District received a notification from the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Division, deeming their practice of primarily scheduling boys' basketball games for Friday evenings as discriminatory compared to girls' basketball games. This was delivered to them in May 2023 as part of a federal investigation.
On July 14th, the Alexander School District in Southern Ohio received a similar notification. Additionally, the Department of Education expressed concerns about the football team being the exclusive sport playing on Friday evenings in the fall. This pattern persists across the state, with schools like Ottawa-Glandorf, Bellaire, Berea, Bethel, Canfield, Boardman, Columbiana, and others all facing similar scrutiny between May and September 2023.
Friday night boys basketball holds a traditional status akin to football evenings during the season. TV stations often cover these games, creating extensive highlights aired after the 10 o'clock news, prominently featuring the boys' games. However, the Department of Education (DoE) now asserts that this tradition, once celebrated, is not only biased but also legally questionable under Title IX.
The IX Initiative monitors both established Title IX norms and evolving nationwide trends. The debate over basketball scheduling confronts tradition with legal requirements. Given Friday night's prime slot for basketball spectatorship and publicity, school districts are obligated by law to ensure equal opportunities for both boys' and girls' programs to utilize it.
This poses challenges for conferences, as many have fixed schedules approved years in advance. However, it also presents legal dilemmas for school districts, subjecting them to federal scrutiny and potential investigations for necessary adjustments. While conferences may not face legal repercussions, individual schools do. The situation is further complicated for conferences comprising both private and public schools, where private schools are exempt from certain regulations while public schools are not.
The legal implications extend beyond Ohio, potentially affecting numerous states if the trend persists. Despite Title IX's lack of widespread understanding, ignorance does not negate the illegality of such situations. Equal prime-time opportunities for girls are imperative, challenging the notion that tradition justifies breaking the law.