Lawsuit: High School Game Cuts Illegal

JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- Thousands of high school athletes and their coaches who were told they'd have to cut their seasons short, may get to call a reverse.

Thursday, lawyers for a group called Florida Parents For Athletic Equity will file an emergency injunction to put those games back on the schedule.

After weeks of trying to reach an agreement with the Florida High School Sports Association, a lawsuit was filed claiming the cuts violate Title IV, the law that mandates gender equity in education and athletics.

The lead attorney in the case is no stranger to sports or what they means for girls.

"There's an old expression that justice delayed is justice denied, so if we didn't act quickly these cuts were going to get set in stone and there was nothing the girls were going to be able to do about it," says Nancy Hogshead-Makar.

Hogshead-Makar is still surprised she had to sue. The 1984 gold medalist and long time advocate of Title IX thought once she pointed out the inequity of the FHSAA's ruling, they'd reverse it.

"These cuts are not just a violation of the United States Constitution, they are a violation of Federal Law and State Law, Hogshead-Makar says.

For budgetary reasons, back in April, the FHSAA decided to cut the number of games in each high school sport. Twenty percent of varsity games were cut, 40 percent from the junior varsity schedule . The only exceptions were for football and competitive cheerleading.

The problem is in the numbers. The cuts exempt 36,000 boys, yet only exempt a little more than 4000 girls.

"Everyone understands budget cuts, but we live in a family and we can't burden one gender over another, our sons versus our daughters," Hogshead-Makar says.

"Title IX just came into effect as I was going to college," says former professional basketball player and University of Florida women's basketball coach Carol Whitmire.

She wants the games put back. Whitmire says Title IX gives her daughter Cari so many advantages she didn't have.

"Now she can pick and choose what sport she wants, whether it's basketball, volleyball or track. All of that is available to her. Thirty years ago it wasn't there," Whitmire says.

Cari says the cut in games would hurt her as an athlete.

"You can practice all you want", she says, "but it's the games that matter so it does hurt you as an athlete without a doubt."

Lindsey O'Donnell says every game is an opportunity to be seen by a scout.

"Every game is different,"she says. "The team and the player develop and change as you go through the season and it's changing."

Lataijh Harrison agrees and says the long season keeps her focused on what matters.

"It keeps my head out of the clouds, and keeps me from getting into other things I might get into besides school.

Hogshead-Makar says you can follow the case on Facebook, even sign on as a fan if you'd like.

The page is Florida Parents For Athletic Equity.

Lawyers representing the FHSAA say at this point, they have no comment.

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