Holdenville latest Oklahoma school district to be sued under TitleIX

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Holdenville became the latest school district in Oklahoma to be sued under Title IX, a 1972 federal law that requires equity in boys' and girls' sports in public schools and

Friday, January 7th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Holdenville became the latest school district in Oklahoma to be sued under Title IX, a 1972 federal law that requires equity in boys' and girls' sports in public schools and universities. University of Tulsa law professor Ray Yasser and Haskell attorney Sam Schiller filed the lawsuit in federal court in Muskogee on Thursday.

Yasser said he and Schiller were first contacted by Holdenville parents about a month ago and that it soon became apparent that Holdenville was "pretty clearly out of compliance" with the law. The number of sports offered to Holdenville male students is "clearly out of whack" with those offered to females, Yasser said.

Other issues relate to coaching and facilities in Holdenville, Yasser said, while Schiller said weight room availability likely will be an issue, as well. The attorneys said the Holdenville parents tried everything they could think of at a local level before resorting to filing a lawsuit, the 12 such lawsuit filed in Oklahoma federal courts since 1996.

Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Sven Holmes signed a settlement agreement Thursday in Tulsa that resolved a similar court action filed by parents of female students against Sperry Public Schools. Yasser and Schiller, who have handled all the Title IX cases, said there were no serious problems in getting their Sperry clients to sign the agreement finalized Thursday in that case.

Unlike other settlements, the Sperry accord does not feature any significant new construction. Instead, its primary feature is a provision that requires football players to abandon their recently built locker room during spring semesters so female athletes can use it. "New facilities are not always required under Title IX, and unfortunately you don't always get everything you want," Schiller said.

Yasser said it was explained to the Sperry parents that the agreement ensures Title IX compliance. Yasser said that, as in all these cases, it is now important that the parents stay vigilant and make sure the school district complies with the terms of the pact. Title IX suits against Tulsa, Owasso, Inola, Norman, Noble and Guymon schools have been settled, while Yasser said a settlement agreement is circulating in the Apache case. Cases against Tahlequah, Chouteau and Hominy public schools are still pending.