Another Day, Another Softball Field Investigation

It's West Perry, Pennsylvania's turn to be investigated by OCR for allegedly inferior softball facilties. According to this story in the Patriot-Ledger, OCR's pending investigation prompted the the school board to allocate $10,000 to replace the backstop and fences, a decision that the board says should not be interpreted as an admission of liability.

The article notes that the investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by a former coach and teacher that "the field used by the girls' softball team was in poorer shape than the field used by the men's baseball team." It is not clear whether decision to describe softball players as "girls" and same-aged baseball players as "men" was the choice of the district solicitor to whom this statement was generally ascribed, or to the reporter for the Patriot-Ledger who relayed it in the press. But either way, it underscores that female athletes in West Perry are not taken seriously. No wonder they didn't have a functional backstop or fences long enough to protect the dugout.