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alp227

(32,070 posts) Mon Mar 31, 2014, 03:47 PM Mar 2014

Michigan High School Forced To Tear Down Boys' Baseball Bleachers Due To Inequality With Girls' [View all]

A high school in Michigan is being forced to tear down bleachers funded by parents for their boys’ varsity baseball team after the U.S. Education Department for Civil Rights said that they are nicer than the girls’ softball bleachers, thus making the two sets of seats “no longer equal.”

Plymouth High School in Canton is cooperating with the government’s demands, but officials say they will keep the brand new bleachers until they’re able to renovate the ones for the softball team. Right now, school superintendent Michael Meissen says that there are no funds to enhance the quality of the girls’ bleachers, but that they are doing all they can to try and get them on par with the boys’ bleachers.

According to reports, the Education Department started an investigation into the equality of the bleachers after receiving an anonymous complaint. The boys’ bleachers were put up six years ago by a group of parents who raised funds to get the upgraded, elevated seats so that they could see the baseball games without having to look through a chain-link fence.

full: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/michigan-high-school-forced-tear-down-boys-baseball-bleachers-due-inequality-girls-video

Another local source is here: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/25095169/the-battle-over-bleachers-do-high-school-sports-facilities-have-to-match

I saw this story on a sports forum i use. Right wing media is framing this story as "GOVERNMENT OVERREACH" and "FORCED FAIRNESS".

At Huff Post, a former Univ. of Michigan professor who knows the area has more insight.

152 replies

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Michigan High School Forced To Tear Down Boys' Baseball Bleachers Due To Inequality With Girls' [View all] alp227 Mar 2014 OP

Well it is pretty fucking dumb BeyondGeography Mar 2014 #1

And another piece of my soul just died. Throd Mar 2014 #2

What the fuck JJChambers Mar 2014 #3

The Huffington article I linked has the inside story. alp227 Mar 2014 #4

Too fucking Lame FreakinDJ Mar 2014 #79

Better yet Shankapotomus Apr 2014 #141

This sounds like an extreme interpretation of Title Nine. Elwood P Dowd Mar 2014 #5

At my college the soccer teams play on the football field. alp227 Mar 2014 #6

Almost all larger colleges have seperate football and soccer stadiums. Elwood P Dowd Mar 2014 #14

Artificial turf makes this possible wercal Mar 2014 #26

Almost all of them. There might TransitJohn Mar 2014 #64

Some football stadiums can't accommodate a soccer pitch goldent Mar 2014 #70

I wonder if colleges are where this sort of strict interpretation is really aimed, and applying petronius Mar 2014 #10

Are baseball and softball fields different dimensions? Erich Bloodaxe BSN Mar 2014 #7

yes, softball fields are smaller. alp227 Mar 2014 #9

Oh well, so much for the 'alternate' idea. nt Erich Bloodaxe BSN Mar 2014 #13

I wondered the same thing dsc Mar 2014 #27

This was the top feature on Glenn Beck's website. Of course...no one has actually seen this "order. msanthrope Mar 2014 #8

I live and work in the area (sort of) etherealtruth Mar 2014 #61

Well, then maybe you also noticed as I did...... llmart Mar 2014 #72

Isn't it that weird giant school complex .... etherealtruth Mar 2014 #73

sometimes things are done with a carrot and a stick--ignore the carrot... you get the stick dembotoz Mar 2014 #11

Equal Facilities bpj62 Mar 2014 #12

But in this case the funds were raised by the parents hack89 Mar 2014 #15

This! (NT) Elwood P Dowd Mar 2014 #16

THe proper response was to tell the parents there can't be unequal facilities. kcr Mar 2014 #21

The school didn't have the money for either hack89 Mar 2014 #22

The proper response to inadequate funding is to address inadequate funding kcr Mar 2014 #24

Ok. Nt hack89 Mar 2014 #25

maybe because the school decided to spend the money on things like teachers dsc Mar 2014 #28

That's fine kcr Mar 2014 #30

I agree with that dsc Apr 2014 #145

Well I have to say that I don't want to fund either baseball or softball bleachers wercal Mar 2014 #32

So, you think as long as parents fund it kcr Mar 2014 #34

You completely missed the point of my post wercal Mar 2014 #36

No, they can't kcr Mar 2014 #37

Well we disagree wercal Mar 2014 #39

It doesn't matter whether you consider it a part of the facility. The law does. kcr Mar 2014 #41

Then it is a poorly written law. Throd Mar 2014 #47

How so? kcr Mar 2014 #48

They aren't getting inferior facilities. Throd Mar 2014 #49

Schools cannot have unequal facilities per title 9 kcr Mar 2014 #51

The net result of your moral victory is that people will stop donating. Hooray. Throd Mar 2014 #53

Yes! Hooray! kcr Mar 2014 #55

You are ignoring the reality on the ground. Throd Mar 2014 #59

I'm not ignoring anything kcr Mar 2014 #96

You are contending points I never brought up. I guess it is easier that way. Throd Apr 2014 #114

You didn't bring up the concern that people would stop donating? kcr Apr 2014 #116

I did bring up such a concern. Throd Apr 2014 #124

I think that would be a good thing, honestly. kcr Apr 2014 #127

Based on your logic kwolf68 May 2015 #152

So how do you divide it up and still get the parents to donate? clffrdjk Mar 2014 #40

What good comes from scrapping title 9? n/t kcr Mar 2014 #43

Who said anything about scrapping it? clffrdjk Mar 2014 #44

You are allowed as long as you do it equally kcr Mar 2014 #46

Stop trying to put words in my mouth. clffrdjk Mar 2014 #50

I'm not putting words in your mouth. kcr Mar 2014 #52

Yes the difference is when you try and twist what I say rather than try and argue a point. clffrdjk Mar 2014 #62

I'm not twisting your words. kcr Mar 2014 #97

The twist clffrdjk Mar 2014 #103

Why does the law suddenly become irrelevant just because they're donating money? kcr Mar 2014 #106

So here you are saying no means yes clffrdjk Mar 2014 #109

If the team is private, then fine. kcr Apr 2014 #111

I grow tired of you trying to speak for me. clffrdjk Apr 2014 #117

Has no one ever disagreed with you before? kcr Apr 2014 #119

No it happens all the time, I just don't care for it when people misstate my opinion clffrdjk Apr 2014 #121

Except I don't think I did kcr Apr 2014 #122

One favorite tactic of fundraising is matching gifts. pnwmom Apr 2014 #132

They want to use the money the baseball parents raised to build softball bleachers TransitJohn Mar 2014 #66

Yes, maybe the parents should have done more. pennylane100 Mar 2014 #29

I think you might have meant to reply to someone else because I agree with you 100% kcr Mar 2014 #33

Sorry, pennylane100 Mar 2014 #108

Are the games equal? Renew Deal Mar 2014 #82

Really? kcr Mar 2014 #98

What would the proper response be if a group of parents wanted to buy pnwmom Mar 2014 #90

No hack89 Apr 2014 #129

New desks and chairs can hardly be considered a core school need. pnwmom Apr 2014 #131

In my state it is against the law hack89 Apr 2014 #136

I think it's outrageous that some kids can't participate in a school team pnwmom Apr 2014 #137

ok nt hack89 Apr 2014 #142

Whenever I see a story like this... Xithras Mar 2014 #17

You aren't the only one. tenderfoot Mar 2014 #54

Right wing nuttery is heavy in that area etherealtruth Mar 2014 #67

if you are going to have some vestige of equality between boys and girls sports at some point dembotoz Mar 2014 #18

It's about good parenting .. GeorgeGist Mar 2014 #19

Why can't the proper solution be to Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #20

Just one more example of how something so well-intentioned....... WillowTree Mar 2014 #23

Wonder how Title IX will work after the men's football and basketball teams unionize? FarCenter Mar 2014 #31

That's a very good question. Dr. Strange Mar 2014 #74

now thats Niceguy1 Mar 2014 #35

The author of the Huffpo piece makes an interesting point. BlueCheese Mar 2014 #38

This is what I wondered goldent Mar 2014 #71

That's dumb (nt) bigwillq Mar 2014 #42

does anyone smell BS? i do CreekDog Mar 2014 #45

Yep. Nine Mar 2014 #77

So, now the girls have softball bleachers, but the boys have no baseball bleachers. sl8 Mar 2014 #56

Exactly. Now boys have less than girls. LisaL Mar 2014 #60

finally, they will have to salt the ball fields, so no one can play! dionysus Apr 2014 #126

Can they just beat the bleachers up a bit to make them less comfortable Nye Bevan Mar 2014 #57

Oh yeah...this is going to teach the baseball boys to respect girls. davidn3600 Mar 2014 #58

If all it takes is the tearing down of some bleachers to make them disrespect women... Gravitycollapse Mar 2014 #63

At the high school our sons attended... 3catwoman3 Mar 2014 #65

Some laws are stupid. n-t Logical Mar 2014 #68

Wow. I thought democrats were suppose to champion minority groups, not demonize them. liberal_at_heart Mar 2014 #80

That's what you got from that post? Throd Mar 2014 #83

Laws are there because the minority need them to be there. My husband has had to utilize liberal_at_heart Mar 2014 #101

I am not demonizing anyone, and I certainly have no... 3catwoman3 Mar 2014 #107

I thought Title 9 applied to federal funding, not funding by parents. muntrv Mar 2014 #69

If the school accepts federal funding, it can't discriminate. lumberjack_jeff Apr 2014 #115

Destroying things in the name of "equality" seems somehow misguided. cherokeeprogressive Mar 2014 #75

I don't think they were permanently destroyed. Just taken apart and stored somewhere. pnwmom Mar 2014 #92

the school allowed a private group to raise funds on behalf of the school dlwickham Mar 2014 #76

and why weren't the lacrosse, bowling, and rifle range improved? Renew Deal Mar 2014 #84

your outrage is duly noted dlwickham Apr 2014 #150

Why? Miigwech Mar 2014 #78

Baseball and softball are not equal Renew Deal Mar 2014 #81

It sounds like parents watching either sport couldn't see very well. pnwmom Mar 2014 #85

That's the way I read it as well. Renew Deal Mar 2014 #86

The rule isn't that they have to be identical gollygee Apr 2014 #139

From what I understand, they haven't destroyed the bleachers, right? pnwmom Mar 2014 #87

Exactly 1000words Mar 2014 #88

And nothing is stopping baseball boosters from helping to raise that money, too. pnwmom Mar 2014 #91

Let's take it even further kcr Mar 2014 #105

And what harm did the bleachers cause? clffrdjk Apr 2014 #110

It broke the law. An important law. kcr Apr 2014 #112

So even you see your comparison is bullshit. clffrdjk Apr 2014 #118

Um. No. kcr Apr 2014 #120

Then why avoid the question? clffrdjk Apr 2014 #123

Here's a radical idea BainsBane Mar 2014 #89

See post #9 kentauros Mar 2014 #94

Someone said they couldn't because the regulation fields are different sizes. nt pnwmom Mar 2014 #95

A simple, no-cost solution. pnwmom Mar 2014 #93

Participation awards and trophies for everyone will be expensive 1000words Mar 2014 #99

Who needs 'em? pnwmom Mar 2014 #100

Why would any non-moron believe what they read ... JEFF9K Mar 2014 #102

It's about damn time. cheapdate Mar 2014 #104

+1 A Little Weird Apr 2014 #143

Abolish the girls softball team and field a girls baseball team instead. lumberjack_jeff Apr 2014 #113

Abolish the boys' baseball team, pnwmom Apr 2014 #133

So many people missing the point: this is discrimination based on sex. Nevernose Apr 2014 #125

At worst, it's discrimination based on the sport. lumberjack_jeff Apr 2014 #147

Title IX gets complicated Nevernose Apr 2014 #148

Logically, sports that require different playing fields aren't equivalent. lumberjack_jeff Apr 2014 #149

Title IX is a good law that is not always interpreted the right way bluestateguy Apr 2014 #128

When combined with the "zero tolerance" attitude of some administrators ... JustABozoOnThisBus Apr 2014 #134

I believe strongly in high school athletics Recursion Apr 2014 #130

I think thats a misinterpretation of the law. DCBob Apr 2014 #135

Is this what the future is in the United States? I think B Calm Apr 2014 #138

So I'm looking at the official government site for the Office of Civil Rights... Nine Apr 2014 #140

why do they have boosters for specific teams? Scout Apr 2014 #144

why can't the school have a rule that funds raised by parents be split 50-50 for both CTyankee Apr 2014 #146

I suspect that this is an ADA issue, not Title IX missingthebigdog Apr 2014 #151