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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 21, 2007
Contact: Sarah Krauss
(212) 669-4193; (917) 541-0936
Release #: 046-2007
Public Advocate Gotbaum to DOE: End Second-Class Status for Female Athletes
- DOE still fails to provide equal resources, no plan to increase sports opportunities -
MANHATTAN - Eight months after National Basketball Association star Stephon Marbury generously donated 3,000 pairs of sneakers to boys varsity-level basketball teams in public schools, Public Advocate Gotbaum today blasted the Department of Education (DOE) for failing to provide equal resources to female varsity-level basketball players – an apparent violation of Title IX, which requires school systems to secure equal benefits and services for both sexes in the provision of sports equipment.
Public Advocate Gotbaum said the failure by the DOE to secure an equal number of sneakers for female varsity-level basketball players was part of a larger failure to take concrete steps to increase athletic opportunities for women. Together, these failures place female athletes at a major disadvantage, especially when applying for college athletic scholarships.
Public Advocate Gotbaum said, “The DOE is shortchanging female athletes – pure and simple. They haven’t provided a plan to increase sports opportunities for women. They haven’t created a fair scheduling system. A year ago, our report showed just how unfair the system was for women. And yet, the DOE hasn’t changed anything. Second-class status for female athletes is unacceptable.”
An August 2006 report by Public Advocate Gotbaum found that girls teams comprised only 44 percent of all Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) teams, and, at nearly one in five schools, there was a bias of 20 percentage points or more in favor of boys’ sports opportunities. The report also found that girls’ fencing, soccer, golf, and swimming teams were scheduled in the “off-season,” when fewer college recruiters are evaluating talent, while boys’ teams competing in the same sports played during the regular season.
Following the report, Public Advocate Gotbaum sent two follow-up letters to the DOE requesting information regarding specific actions DOE and PSAL have taken to address gender inequities, as well as the name and contact information of the city’s Title IX Coordinator, which was not on the PSAL website. In response to Mr. Marbury’s sneaker donation, the letters also asked for the specific actions the city had taken to obtain sneakers for girls varsity-level basketball teams.
While providing little specific information, the DOE said that – after six months of searching - it would “explore the possibility” of providing sneakers to female basketball teams. The DOE did not provide any specifics about changes it had made to address the gender inequities.
Public Advocate Gotbaum commended the generous donation that Stephon Marbury made. She added, "This is a wonderful, thoughtful act from Mr. Marbury. He is truly making a difference for some young athletes in our city, and I am elated to see his gift reaching so many. But the point is a larger one, about the DOE and their inability to treat female athletes fairly, with equal resources and opportunities."
In her report, Public Advocate Gotbaum noted that women who lead active lifestyles during adolescence are less likely to develop osteoporosis, breast cancer, and diabetes as adults and are more likely to adopt long-term exercise routines. In addition, studies show that young women who participate in sports are less likely than non-athletes to use illicit drugs, become pregnant, smoke cigarettes, or be suicidal and more likely to excel in science and graduate from high school.
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