NRHS Reported to Be In Violation of Title IX On Softball

The North Reading Citizens for Equality group reported that not having a softball field at North Reading High School is in violation of Title IX requirements, according to an article on Boston.com.

Jennifer Casoli delivered the presentation for the North Reading Citizens for Equality at Monday's School Committee meeting, the article stated. Given that there is a varsity baseball field and smaller practice field at the high school, the baseball players are able to use locker rooms and bathrooms. The softball players have to practice at the Little School, without bathrooms or locker rooms. They are also responsible for their own transportation to the school. All of which is direct violation of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education, the article said.

That is not all. Practice time, conditions of the field, and outside resources are also violations of Title IX. For example, the baseball team practices right after school, but the softball team has to wait until Little School students are dismissed for their practice to start. 

During the winter and bad weather, the baseball field is covered, it has an irrigation system and more. The softball field is not privileged to any of those things and when the team asked to work on the field themselves, they were not allowed, the article stated.

The new middle/high school will include a softball field, however, in September the School Committee recommended that the SSBC look at building a practice baseball field instead of a softball field, according to the article.

The School Committee agreed to review this information at their latest meeting, the article said.