Laney hit with title IX violation after forcing female athletes to use broken facilities
A formal complaint issued last fall by the U.S Department of Education Office of Civil Rights alleging Laney’s non-compliance of Title IX regulations has been resolved.
With this resolution, Laney will comply with various concerns of inequality that were advanced in the complaint.
Laney also promises that these issues will be rectified by specific dates.
One big issue was an almost total renovation of the women’s locker room.
At the Dec. 8 meeting of Peralta Community College Board of Trustees, $2.3 million was allocated for the complete project.
All coaches of the women’s teams and the Laney dance instructors have signed off on the project.
Another provision pertains to the Athletic Program Coaches’ Manual.
An improved version of the manual was to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015.
It would include provisions relating to athletic course scheduling, proposals for improved strength and conditioning programs, fundraising proposals, and additional athletic and academic support for athletes.
By June 30, 2016, Laney College needs to provide the OCR with its assessment of the changes of coaching provisions.
The new compliances will hopefully deal with any revisions that are needed to establish equal coaching.
The condition of the men’s and women’s locker rooms is a big problem; upgrades are needed to make them equal in services, physical condition, plumbing and overall quality.
The hope is that both locker rooms, when finished, are comparable to the look of the modern newly constructed apartment buildings.
According to Laney volleyball player Niama Ashford, “The locker rooms need some major work done on them. The plumbing, the water pressure and quality of it is not good.
“It’s gotten to the point where people don’t bother using it [the locker room].”
Ashford is majoring in biology and is at Laney for one last semester, so she won’t see any of the proposed changes.
Women’s locker room supervisor and attendant Joy Hughes says, “The women’s locker room doesn’t have any team lockers, as the men do. The men’s locker rooms are located in the Fieldhouse and
it’s more convenient for them because the football and baseball fields are next to each other.”
The women’s track team does have a team room in the fieldhouse, which is adjacent to the track.
The resolution agreement firmly gives a deadline of providing OCR with documentation showing the finalization of the gymnasium upgrade.
This timeline was submitted on September 1, 2015.
Additional reporting contributed by Scott Strain, Laney Sports Information.