OCR Investigates California School District

The Vallejo Times-Herald reports that the Benicia Unified School District is under investigation by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights for alleged violations of Title IX. The school district sounds a little bit tight lipped about what issues are exactly under investigation, but the reporter speculated that one possibility might be a disparity between baseball and softball facilities, since the baseball field, which the district shares with the city, recently benefited from a $500,000 renovation. Another possibility is disparity in opportunities, as there are more freshman sports for boys than for girls. The president of the Benicia High School Athletic Boosters, who was interviewed for the story, was doubtful that booster funds are at issue. He insisted that the funds the boosters raise from participation fees are allocated equally among girls' and boys' sports.