The LAF-supported case

Parker v. Indiana High School Athletic Association settled last month, ending Amber Parker and Tammy Hurley’s fight for fairer scheduling of the varsity girls’ basketball games in Franklin County, Indiana, on behalf of their daughters.

Parker alleged violations of Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution due to a disparity in the scheduling of boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball games. The suit argued that almost all the boys’ games were played in prime time — on Friday and Saturday nights — compared with only about half of the girls’ games. The plaintiffs said that the scheduling unfairly placed academic burdens on the girls, who competed on school nights, were deprived of crowd support, and were made to feel like second-class athletes.

The settlement was approved by the U.S. District Court for Southern Indiana and requires progressive improvements in scheduling girls’ varsity basketball games through 2017.