Request to MHSAA to cease appeal of ruling on Equitable Sports Schedules

Today, August 21, 2006, the Michigan Conference of the National Organization for Women has asked the Michigan High School Athletic Association, all school administrators, school boards, and secondary school principals to cease further appeal of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Communities for Equity v MHSAA in the name of preserving scarce education resources and to begin the healing process that this divisive court battle has entailed.  MHSAA should begin now to transition to sports seasons schedules that reflect the order of the court and to set up a process that will guarantee girls athletics equal status in Michigan’s high school athletics system. 

Renee Beeker, President of Michigan NOW, stated in a letter to MHSAA and copied to the Michigan Association of School Administrators, Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and State Superintendent Michael Flannagan:

I am writing to the members of the Representative Council on behalf of The Michigan Conference of the National Organization for Women to encourage the board the MHSAA to consider not appealing this latest 6th District Court of Appeals decision in Communities for Equity v. MHSAA.  The Communities for Equity has been working for so long to achieve equality for female athletes in Michigan and MHSAA has fought them at every turn, only to change when forced to by the courts.  On this final point, the assignment of the disadvantaged seasons only to the girls, it seems time to accept the findings of the court.  This latest opinion is very clear and it seems unlikely that it will be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court

This long court battle has been divisive for both the membership of MHSAA and the general public.  The MHSAA has expended a great deal of its time and resources, money and time that could have been spent more beneficially to improve athletic opportunities for girls and for the organization as a whole.  We urge school administrators to read the court's opinion, look at the evidence and realize how harmful their actions have been for girls.  http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/06a0299p-06.pdf

It is now time for the MHSAA and the athletic community to get on with the process of healing.  We hope you will develop a constructive and fair process for developing a new schedule that fulfills not only the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law.  We encourage you to appoint a transition committee to implement the court’s order which includes representatives from Community for Equity. 

Leadership will be very key in this process.  There are many models for establishing equality in season assignment, as almost all states do so.  We hope you will look towards these changes as an opportunity to produce a truly equitable and outstanding system that puts neither gender at an unfair disadvantage and will produce a sense of partnership between boys and girls in our athletic programs.

Not in the suit is the issue of women's representation on the Representative Council of MHSAA.  The inequitable representation, four women of 19 with two of the four appointed, is undoubtedly a source of much of the unfairness and sex discrimination.  Representation should be equal, 50/50.  You can make this happen as well as part of the changes needed to provide equal status for girls athletics in Michigan and we urge you to do so.