Kicker Dismissed by Georgia Team for Being a Girl
Kacy Stuart has one of the best legs in high school (American) football. She’s talented, and strong. But she has, according to the Georgia Football League that is, one major problem; she’s a girl.
According to the girl’s mother, Kacy was dismissed from the New Creation Center Crusaders, a private Christian academy in McDonough, Ga., as team photos were being shot Thursday, even after she had practiced with the team for two months.
“We’ll file for an injunction if we have to,” Angie Stuart said Friday, according to the Atlanta newspaper. “We’ll do whatever it takes to keep her on the team.”
Her gender was not a problem when she played for her football team in middle school. She was the kicker of that team as well, and brought it to the state finals.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything in the [league] bylaws to prevent a girl from playing,” Angie Stuart said. “No one else has a problem with it. The coaches, players and other teams have accepted her. If she can play for a public school, why not a private school?”
That is, of course, a good question. It seems to be a typical case of officials preferring traditions over pragmatism.
Girls and boys often sport in separate teams because girls are physically weaker. It is not meant as discrimination but as protection. Since girls are often physically weaker they cannot compete with boys. Hence, all-girl leagues and all-boy leagues were created; both genders could compete against each other.
In the case of Kacy, however, the general rule is not correct; she is not weaker. She is better than most boys. As such, there is no need to ‘protect’ her so she can compete. When it is useless, the tradition should be ignored.
The Georgia Football League does not seem to understand that, however.
Private schools are not subjected to identical rules as Public ones are. She can put her daughter back into public school if she’d like.
Depends on the situation. While private schools are not usually covered by 14th Amendment protections or Title IX like public schools are, they may adopt similar burdens if there exists language in a handbook or other publication that promises gender-neutral policies in one or more areas. Such language can have the effect of establishing a contractual obligation that mirrors the Constitutional or statutory obligations of public schools.