Sports body: Gender shouldn’t matter
6:11 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Gender doesn’t and shouldn’t matter, the Kansas State High School Activities Association said Tuesday. The sports body’s message comes after a private religious school refused to let a female referee on its basketball court.
Last month, St. Mary's Academy wouldn’t let Michelle Campbell referee a boys game. The school, located northwest of Topeka, says male role models are best for adolescent boys, so it’s important that role models in athletic competitions be men.
“The facts speak for themselves what happened that day,” Campbell said.
“It was the easiest call I’ve ever made on the basketball floor, was to walk away with her that day,” fellow ref Darin Putthoff said.
On Tuesday, the KSHSAA’s executive committee voted to approve two proposals aimed at preventing discrimination against sports officials. The association’s nine-member board agreed to add to its handbook a statement and a rule requiring member schools to accept qualified officials regardless of gender, race or religious beliefs.
The association's board of directors will vote on the proposals on April 11. If approved, the new rule would go into effect for the 2008-09 school year.
Campbell said she’s pleased and would even be willing to go back to St. Mary’s Academy if the school plays by the rules.
“If their belief system changed and they would say, ‘Yes, any kind of official can come out here, we need officials to call the game,’ sure I’d go and call one in St. Mary’s,” Campbell said. “It’s about the kids.”
The activities association said, beliefs aside, if school leaders don’t follow the same rules as everyone else, they’ll have to find their own refs.
“I think officials … deserve support in everything that they do,” said Gary Musselman, KSHSAA executive director. “They do a very difficult job.”
We asked the school for comment today in St. Marys, but we were asked to leave the property.
St. Mary’s Academy is not a member of the KSHSAA, but when the school plays member schools they have to follow member rules. Last year, St. Mary’s only played two member schools, Musselman said.
Story Background
- School offers explanation on removal of female ref February 20, 2008
- Referee gender issue to be reviewed by KSHSAA February 15, 2008
- Association investigates removal of female referee by religious school February 13, 2008
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