A new lawsuit filed this month in federal court alleges that the Laurel County School District in Kentucky discriminated against a male student in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and denied him equal protection under the United States and Kentucky Constitutions. In particular, the lawsuit claims that the District enforces different rules relating to middle school athletics for boys and girls basketball. While girls are permitted to play on multiple teams for varying grade levels simultaneously, the suit alleges, boys are required to “Play Up. Stay Up.” In other words, according to the Complaint, if a boy plays on a higher grade level team he is not then permitted to also play on a lower grade level team.
Historically, Title IX has been used by litigants to gain entrance for female athletes to athletic programs because it prohibits excluding persons or denying them the benefits of educational programs on the basis of sex. More broadly, however, Title IX also prohibits other forms of inequality by disallowing “discrimination under any education program or activity” which receives federal funds. In responding to the suit, the District has noted a gender-neutral justification to explain the rule: the lack of female athletes to fill the girls basketball teams. Yet, at this early juncture, it remains unclear whether that justification will be sufficient to salvage the rule. Though the case is at its earliest stages, it will be one for other school districts in the Sixth Circuit to watch.
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Published by Claire E. Parsons
Claire E. Parsons is a Member at Adams Law, PLLC in Covington, Kentucky. She has practiced for the last twelve years in the areas of litigation, civil rights, employment, school law, special education, and municipal law. Claire lives in Union, Kentucky with her husband, Brian, their two daughters, and two dogs.
Claire is an active leader in her community and in the legal profession. She has led innovative charitable programs in her community, statewide legal organizations, committees relating to the promotion of women professionals, and serves nationally on the Board of MothersEsquire. Claire is also a frequent writer and speaker for these and other organizations. She has published and spoken about numerous topics, ranging from complex legal issues, to law practice, networking and marketing, as well as mindfulness and wellness for lawyers and other professionals. She writes regularly on LinkedIn and even co-authored a book this year with 19 other women lawyers about how they used the platform to network and pursue career goals during the pandemic.
In 2013, Claire began a mindfulness practice early in her law career and as she was learning to be a new mom to her eldest daughter, Sophie. When Claire began the practice, she saw it gradually transform her life for the better by helping her to reduce overthinking, manage stress, and infuse compassion practices into her daily life. Over the next few years, she continued to study mindfulness practices and attend retreats.
In 2018, Claire began speaking and writing on these topics and she quickly became regarded as a resource for professionals as someone who can explain meditation practices in an approachable and practical way. In 2020, she completed the online meditation teacher certification program with The Mindfulness Center founded by Deborah Norris, Ph.D., to refine her understanding of the science of mindfulness and its practical applications. Claire enjoys sharing her experience with mindfulness in her practical, and often humorous voice, to help humanize the legal profession and to make life a little easier for her community.
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