Do girls get a fair shake at Hylton?
John Boal/News & Messenger
Hylton High School’s baseball (top) and softball fields have different amenities. The baseball field has a press box and concessions; the softball field recently got a portable toilet.
The Office for Civil Rights is conducting a Title IX investigation into Prince William County Public Schools and could be finished with it by September.
“OCR is currently investigating whether PWCPS discriminated against female athletes on the basis of sex by failing to provide male and female athletes equivalent locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities, as required by Title IX and its implementing regulation,” stated OCR spokesman David Thomas in an e-mail to the News & Messenger on Wednesday.
The impetus for the investigation revolves around what one local parent believed to be inadequate facilities for the Hylton girls softball team, as compared with other playing fields for the school’s boys’ sports.
Until recently, the Hylton baseball field had the following that softball didn’t: concession stand, announcer’s booth/sound system, bathroom facility, in-ground irrigation and batting cages. Recently, Adam Ziegler and other parents of Hylton softball players were able to get the school to place a portable toilet next to one of the softball dugouts. They also worked out a deal with an area travel team to share a small netted batting cage behind the outfield wall, said Ziegler.
In his complaints about the softball field, Ziegler informed the school administration that a game was delayed this spring so that an umpire could “relieve himself” in the woods behind both the softball field and the lacrosse practice field, which was being used at the time.
Ziegler said he met with county and school officials, including principal Carolyn Custard and county physical and health education curriculum supervisor Fred Milbert, in early December but was not satisfied with their response to his concerns through a process called Early Conflict Resolution. Eventually he took his case to the OCR in hopes that at least all the county schools will have comparable facilities a few years down the road.
“At the end of the day, I want the county and school to identify all the Title IX issues at Hylton, and then create a plan and associated budget to fix the issues,” Ziegler said in an e-mail this spring to the News & Messenger. “To date, I have heard excuses and deflection of responsibility — these are paid county officials, and I suggest the school board and taxpayers hold them accountable for their inaction.”
According to school system spokeswoman Irene Cromer, inquiries by the News & Messenger on the investigation will be addressed next week. Efforts to reach several Hylton administrators this week were unsuccessful.
Title IX was first instituted in 1972 to ban gender discrimination in the classroom and on the playing field. Those that have failed to comply with Title IX regulations in a timely fashion have lost federal funding. Hylton opened in 1991.
In an e-mail to Ziegler from Milbert dated Dec. 21, 2008, Milbert states that the majority of the funding for Hylton’s baseball field came from outside resources and that suggested improvements to the softball field would likely have to come from both county and private funds.
“With the budget forecast and the latest news about budget, you must understand that this project will not get complete[d] by school funds or support only,” Milbert states in the letter.
Potomac High School activities director Bill Stearns said he was only vaguely aware of the investigation, having spent much of the latter part of the year on medical leave. However, Stearns said he does his best to analyze any issues with his school’s athletic facilities and address them before each school year.
Stearns said that Potomac, which opened in 1979, recently changed the playing surface on its softball field from a gravely type substance to a standard dirt infield. He also said that the county paid for the installation of lights on the field but was not sure of exactly what year they were put in or how much they cost.
Currently, the softball teams have to walk a short distance to the back entrance of the school to use restroom facilities, while the baseball team uses the restrooms behind the football stadium.
“I try to look at the end of the year and see what we got problems with and see what we can do about it,” Stearns said. “Sometimes we can [do something], sometimes we can’t.”
Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.
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Reader Reactions
Another classic example of why Govt. cannot solve all your problems. It also another example of parents who complain and do nothing. Work for what you want. Thats what we do in the Boosters at Stonewall. We still have whiny parents just like all schools. This Title IX stuff. Be careful what you wish for you may get it like in FL. They tore down buildings, fences, scoreboards, lights and I could go on but I won’t. Just so the girls and boys could have matching facilities that the boys and their coaches paid and worked extra to have. Just in caes I had 2 girls and one boy. My girls did just fine during their HS careers. Quit turning to the Govt. for answers people. Their track record stinks !!!
Give me a break. Boys sports draw more spectators and $ than most girl sports do. That’s the only reason there are differences like these at some schools. If some girl’s father wants to complain about it perhaps he’d like to bring in the same crowd that watches the boys play ball as the crowd that watches his girls play softball. Look at the WNBA, they KNOW the only reason the boys get paid more and get the prime time TV slots is because the boys can draw the crowds and the $, the girls DON’T. It’s as simple as that. It’s the way it’s always been, deal with it! If your girl has a jersey/uniform, equipment, a free bus ride to face opponents and a decent coach, consider her lucky and move on. Do you honestly think the boy’s programs should financially support the girl’s programs when the girl’s programs can’t come up with anywhere near the same $? What happened to equality there? And why should the school budget equal $ to each sport whether it be boys or girls sports when the financial return from each sport is very different?
Yes, the girls get a “fair shake”.
“In my opinion the county wanted to stall the discussions in hope that I would just go away”
funny how that seems to happen isn’t it?
From Adam Ziegler.
I appreciate the comments and debate on this topic. Not in response to any specific comment, but to provide a few more details that weren’t in the article:
- The parents of the team are involved and have attempted to partner with the school/county to improve the softball facility. From my perspective, the softball facilities at Hylton are not the real issue. I believe we (PWC taxpayers and parents of PWC students) not only have the right to question public officials, but it is our responsibility to openly debate their actions, inactions and thought processes.
- Prince William County has been conducting an internal Title IX investigation for more than five years. I was unable to find any evidence that the investigation was going to lead to resolution.
- I offered to raise a substantial amount of money to supplement the projects required to bring Hylton closer to Title IX compliance, but the school and county balked. In my opinion the county wanted to stall the discussions in hope that I would just go away. In the mean time parents and coaches of the team improved the facility during organized field maintenance days.
- County officials said they didn’t have the expertise on their staff to develop the plans to correct the facility and field issues; I provided them vendors from which they could receive bids. After much urging, county officials also contacted the county park authority to get an estimate.
- I started my discussion about this issue with the coach, then the school athletic director, then the principal and county officials – I contacted the Office of Civil Rights only after I perceived the school and county was apathetic.
There is lots more history and details about how the county was fortunate enough to build C.D.Hylton and its fantastic athletic fields, but I don’t think they’re germane. I don’t think the crux of the situation is softball at Hylton, I think it is about how public officials deal or don’t’ deal with very complex issues during trying economic times. I don’t believe spending hundreds of thousands of dollars building a softball complex is wise, but I also don’t support the county not having a plan to resolve a more substantial issue – equality.
I hope to see continued discussion, that is a success story in itself.
Hylton has deeper problems than equality in sports, (like many other schools) they may get swept under the carpet but they are still there.
Every parent who has a child in any county can make the same claims as Mr. Ziegler attempts to. I have two children who graduated from Hylton, a daughter from Gar-Field and my wife and I graduated from Woodbridge. Have heard this story many times along with my school does not get as much press as another school.
I have seen the Hylton coaches, players, parents and families working on the baseball field, having fund-raisers. They did from the first day the school was opened. They were not handed anything they did not earn (and NO neither of my sons played baseball).
Never while we lived in Dale City did I see the softball team do any of this.
I would suggest that Mr. Ziegler and the other softball parents get organized and start working for their kids.
In reference to the Stafford High School complex - they have/had been working ion that for more years than Hylton has been an active high school.
Frankly, as an overtaxed taxpayer and business owner in this community, I don’t want to pay for your child or mine to ‘play’ in an 800 thousand dollar complex. The auditorium in my kids high school (Brentsville) had holes in the roof, while Hylton was built with a planetarium and recording studio. Brentsville didn’t even have air conditioning at the time. Schools need to concentrate on academics. We are in the middle of a deep recession. I’ve cut back and so should the schools. Within the money allocated to each individual school, everyone should work with the powers that be for how the $$ are spent. But all the sports get more than their fare share of taxpayer funding. Kids go to school for an education, not sports.
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You proved my point! Fundraisers are used for those areas that you have listed. These fields require hundreds of thousands worth of dollars to bring them up to the same standards. I’m not the one sitting on my butt; i have been out supporting & participating in these fundraisers. It’s the school and county officials that get paid to oversee the needs of the school and county who need to get off their butts. What have they done since 1991 in terms of annual field maintenance, renovations and improvements. I encourage you to go visit Stafford High School and view their 800 thousand dollar upgraded sports complex. I highly doubt that you can raise these funds through car washes and bake sales.
Our Boosters did far more than just sell hot dogs and soda and we purchased instruments for our band program when there wasn’t enough money in the budget to provide them. We also provided uniforms and helped students who couldn’t afford to go on trips to fundraise the money they needed, so no student was left behind. Also, The county allowed the students school time off for worthy music educational trips. School board officials do support us and there is no one more supportive than John Jenkins. I’ve watched him for years attend so many events and pat so many kids on the back and shake their hands. As a taxpayer, I’m already paying for your child’s education. Knock on my door anytime and I’ll be happy to donate. If I see them set up outside a grocery store, I will donate. it doesn’t matter which school they go to. Teach your child that life isn’t always equal and in today’s economy, we must all pitch in! Get off your butt, stop whining and be a teamplayer!
Its not the booster clubs responsibility to pay for upgrades to a field. The school has the responsibility to forecast in their budget upgrades. I encourage you to go walk the Baseball Fields and Softball fields in the Prince William County School district. You will find a huge disparity in the quality of the fields.
Let me put it into band terms for you. One program gets to play in Carnegie Hall with the finest music stands and chairs where the other program performs in a barn not fit for animals
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