Sue Miller, our Public Policy Director, reports the following:

In response to a complaint filed by the Chico Branch AAUW California, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has concluded that the Chico Unified School District (CUSD) fails to comply with Title IX regulations for the sport programs at the two high schools.

The OCR determined that the high school sports program did not meet any of the three prongs used to assess whether a school is providing nondiscriminatory sport opportunities for both sexes. The District is not effectively accommodating the interests and abilities of female students and there is a pattern of disparities favoring boys with regard to locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities, the time of day for competitive events, and publicity.

As a result of the investigation, CUSD has agreed to offer a girl’s JV soccer team at CHS and JV girl’s tennis teams at both high schools. The girl’s softball fields will be improved to a level comparable with the boy’s baseball field at both schools and cheerleading and band will be provided for girl’s sports in an equitable manner with boy’s sports. The district must also offer an equivalent number of Friday night games to girls’ basketball teams as they do boy’s basketball teams.

Additionally, the OCR found that the Title IX Coordinator for the District was not identified in any District information and that while, this person did exist, she had not been provided sufficient training and support to allow her to effectively coordinate the District’s efforts to comply with Title IX. District staff must undergo a Title IX Athletics training offered by OCR and the District, in turn, must offer training to the Title IX Coordinator, the Superintendent or her designee, and any other staff involved in the processing of Title IX complaints.

The District has signed a Resolution Agreement with the OCR that will resolve the issues addressed when it is fully implemented.