A complaint was filed against Henry County Schools on Wednesday for failing to provide high school girls with equal opportunities to play sports in violation of Title IX, according to the National Women’s Law Center.
According to the NWLC, there is a gap of 12.5 percentage points between the percentage of girls enrolled at Henry County Schools and percentage of girls who are athletes. This translates to 430 fewer opportunities for girls to play sports than boys and that the county's participation "worsened substantially between 2004 and 2006," according to the organization.
However, Henry County Schools spokesman Tony Pickett said he was a little confused about the Title IX allegations, but promised the county would do a complete investigation.
"The important point to make right now is that we have not had any changes in athletic opportunities available to female students," Pickett said. "If the concern is that we're not making those opportunities available, then that's totally inaccurate. But we will fully investigate their specific concerns."
The NWLC issued complaints against 12 school districts across the country, with Henry County the only one from Georgia. An NWLC spokesman said the 12 "are the tip of the iceberg," claiming girls make up half of the student population and 41 percent play sports.
"[It] appears they are concerned about differences in female athletic-participation data we reported to the United States Department of Education in 2004 versus 2006," Pickett said. "We are very well aware of the requirements and responsibilities under Title IX and work to ensure full compliance."
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