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Illinois high school lawsuit ongoing

By Erin Buzuvis, Sudha Setty, and Kristine Newhall

In Canton, IL a lawsuit brought by two parents alleging inequities between the girls' sports program and the boys' program remains unsettled. Mediation had been ongoing but the school board rejected this week the proposed settlement and thus litigation remains pending with a trial scheduled for May 2010.
According to a source the proposed terms included moving some girls' basketball games and practices to an off-site gym (which I assume is a better facility though this facility is never explained) and designate girls' locker rooms at this site as well. Eventually all girls' games would be played at the site.
Samuel Schiller, lawyer for the two parents, said he did not know why the board turned down the settlement. The superintendent only said they did not feel it was in the best interest of the district or the two girls. [Well it's actually supposed to be in the best interest of the girls' program generally--not just the two girls (and their parents) who sparked the lawsuit.]
Schiller was also, as we mentioned in a previous post about the Canton lawsuit, the lawyer for a similar case in Lewiston, IL. As Schiller mentions about Canton's refusal to accept the terms of mediation, continuing mediation and preparation for trial will only cost the district more money. It was recently revealed that the Lewiston case cost the district $102,000. The district tax levy was raised to cover the costs of that lawsuit (which ended in a settlement).
The school board is not set to take up the Canton lawsuit anytime soon. We may be into 2010 before we hear more about this case.

Full post as published by Title IX Blog on November 12, 2009 (boomark / email).