Florida High School Athletic Association Accused of Title IX Violation

by Kolbe Franklin, Program Associate, 
National Womens Law Center 

Claiming budget constraints, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recently approved a plan to reduce the number of varsity-level games for all sports except football. In response, Florida Parents for Athletic Equity, represented in part by Nancy Hogshead-Makar, a law professor and Title IX advocate, issued statements claiming the decision was in violation of Title IX. Under the FHSAA plan, virtually all girls would face cuts while a significant number of boys would be unaffected. The parents and students tried to work with FHSAA to make changes in time for the next school year, but FHSAA chose not to readdress the plan until next fall, leaving the parents and students no choice but to file a lawsuit to try to prevent the inequitable scheduling.