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WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau School Board has voted to seek a legal opinion to support a potential districtwide boys’ hockey co-op between East and West.
Board member Pat McKee said the district, as it stands, could be violating Title IX because girls at East have a place to play, but boys don’t. He cited the Department of Education’s own website, which provides a similar example. Reading from the page, McKee said if a school offers varsity hockey for both genders, but only offers a JV team for one gender and denies a request to create a second JV squad, such a move could constitute a violation because the district is not offering the same opportunity for girls as it is for boys. “Sound familiar? It’s just reversed,” said McKee. “Can’t make it up.”
Wausau East girls play varsity hockey through the Central Wisconsin Storm co-op, which includes West and D.C. Everest.
East boys have been left without a varsity team after Merrill voted to dissolve the BlueJacks co-op last February, citing enough skaters to field an independent squad. The Wisconsin Valley Conference subsequently blocked an East-West co-op on a 3-3 tie vote. Board members Sarah Brock and Lance Trollop agreed the deadlock harms students.
“Our students should never be punished for the decisions or the mistakes of adults. That’s what is happening in this case. It is ridiculous that there is no process or policy for dealing with a tie,” said Brock.
“It never should have come to this. The adults at these other schools should have looked at this and said, ‘What is best for these boys playing hockey at Wausau East?'” said Trollop.
East, West, and D.C. Everest voted in favor of the co-op, while Wisconsin Rapids, SPASH, and Marshfield voted against it. Brock noted that one opposing school “said the quiet part out loud” by admitting their opposition stemmed from the belief that “West doesn’t need any help.”
“Really?” asked Brock.
“Refusing to implement a tiebreaker vote impacts all sorts of other things,” Trollop added. “This isn’t the only thing conference members vote on. They vote on other things, too. It shouldn’t have come to this, but it has,” added Trollop.
McKee noted that the Conference has another vote on the issue scheduled for Dec. 9. He says he’d like to think the district won’t need a legal opinion and support materials to back up the move, but they need to be ready.
“Hopefully it’s not necessary and common sense prevails; we get at least one of the other three principals to ‘see the light,’ so to speak. If not, I think this will send the appropriate message: this district is not going to take this lying down, we will advocate for our students, and we will take it to the fullest extent to get an equitable and just result,” said McKee.
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