Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Castle Rock issues in front of school board

After some delays, the concerns of parents of Castle Rock High School student-athletes in Washington will be addressed by the school board in the next week and a half. 
As we have written about before, parents of girls on the soccer team asked for and were denied access to the football field (which has lights) for games that were being cut short due to darkness. The superintendent attempted to address the concerns, but parents were not entirely pleased with her recommendations, including additional training in gender equity issues for the school's athletic director. Some involved believe that training would not work for AD Neil Williamson because he knew that his decision was discriminatory. Some also feel that the recommendation for an athletic advisory committee would just add an additional level of bureaucracy they would have to negotiate.
Additionally, in a non-Title IX issue, parents requested that the original unlit field be made handicapped accessible. But apparently the accommodations are less than ideal. A portable accessible bathroom is in a grassy area that those in wheelchairs would find difficult, if  not impossible, to traverse.
While the school board has implied that some girls' soccer games will be scheduled in the football field, it seems that the discord created over the way the situation has been handled may have longer-lasting effects.
If, when the board issues its decision on the matter(s), parents are displeased with the resolution, the district will likely find itself a party in a lawsuit which, if previous cases are any indication, will likely reveal additional inequities.