Uneven Playing Fields: In Depth Report on Gender Inequity in High School Sports Features LAAW’s Clients and Attorneys

Two female basketball players charging down the court with a ball

A new, in-depth report titled Uneven Playing Fields, was published today. As explained by the project:

There are nearly 24,000 public high schools in the US and 3.4 million girls playing for sports teams. Title IX, the sweeping federal law that guarantees equity in “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,” applies to each one of them. Who is watching over them? What systems ensure that girls in high school sports are getting fair treatment?

“Unlevel Playing Fields” is a four-month investigation into Title IX and high school sports. The reporting reveals a system that is failing countless girls.

The package of work includes 12 text stories, several video pieces and a national poll of high school parents and their student-athletes to measure awareness of Title IX, which turns 50 in June. It was produced by students at the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Nearly two dozen student journalists participated in the project, hunting down documents, combing data and interviewing dozens of principals, coaches, parents and students across the country.

The Project features interviews of current and former Legal Aid at Work attorneys, including Elizabeth Kristen and Kim Turner, and some of LAAW’s brave clients. The Project’s work has been widely reported in other media outlets, including, Fivethirtyeight.com, ESPN, PBS News Hour, and elsewhere.

For more information, please read the full report at https://cnsmaryland.org/titleix/.

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