Girls Can't Play Baseball. Or Can They?

by Jen Nedeau · 2008-12-01 16:53:00 UTC
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Who said girls can't play baseball? Well, apparently the Indiana High School Athletics Association, which is facing a lawsuit filed on behalf of a female Bloomington high school freshman named Logan Young, who doesn't want to play softball with the girls - but baseball with the boys.

As reported by local news stations and the firm for Public Justice, Bloomington South High School freshman, Logan, wants to continue to play baseball as she has for nine years on co-ed teams. At this point in time, however, the Indiana High School Athletic Association rules prohibit girls from being on a boys high school baseball team if softball is offered.

In reaction to this rule, Logan, her mother and attorneys from the firm Public Justice are suing the IHSAA for violating Title IX.

The complaint reads:

IHSAA Rule 9-2 10, however, bans girls from playing baseball when their school offers a different sport - softball - to girls, as Logan's school does. Although this rule violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Indiana Civil Rights Law and public policy, the IHSAA refuses to change the rule or allow girls to try out for baseball unless each girl who wants to try out establishes through a quasi-administrative process that barring her from the sport would work an "extreme hardship," a procedural hurdle and standard that no boy in Logan's position is required to meet. Bloomington High School South, a member of the IHSAA, intends to comply with IHSAA Rule 9-10. Consequently, absent declaratory and injunctive relief from this Court, Logan will be irreparably harmed by enforcement of the discriminatory IHSAA rule that unlawfully requires her high school to judge her by her gender, not by her abilities.

As someone who grew up playing lots of sports, I am very interested to see how the ISHAA will react to this complaint. While they certainly should change their policy to allow girls and boys to try out for any athletic teams regardless of gender affiliation - a change in the rules won't likely stop the stereotype that "girls can't play baseball." When it comes to leveling the playing field between genders, it seems that while changing the policy can happen, changing perceptions will take much longer.

Jen Nedeau Jen Nedeau is a media relations professional and a writer based in New York City.
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