The Cheerleading Debate Continues...

For those of you who witnessed (i.e., were subjected to) the Great Debate of senior year at Revere High School between Rob Walter and myself over whether or not cheerleading was a sport and are interested in the status of that debate, Rob has informed me that our argument has finally had it's day in court! The article is below and while the Judge ruled that cheerleading is NOT a college varsity sport, I must point out that the limiting word "college" in this decision means that my argument is weakened, but not completely defeated! I do admit that this is a setback for cheerleaders out there and the "sport" I ardently defended. But, as I'm sure none of you are surprised to hear, this debate is (still) not over yet!

CHEERLEADING NOT A COLLEGE VARSITY SPORT, JUDGE RULES

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – Competitive cheerleading is too "underdeveloped" to qualify as a full-fledged sport for women under federal gender equality rules, and the university which proposed it discriminated against women, a federal judge in Connecticut ruled.

In the 95-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill said Quinnipiac University, located in Connecticut, had discriminated against women when it sought to eliminate the school's varsity volleyball team and create a competitive cheerleading squad in its stead.

Universities are mandated under a federal statute called Title IX modified in 1975 to provide equal opportunity for men and women in athletics programs.

"Quinnipiac discriminated on the basis of sex... by failing to provide equal athletic participation opportunities for women," Underhill said.

Plaintiffs' attorney Jonathan Orleans praised the ruling, saying in a statement "This is a victory not only for the student athletes and their coach, but for women's collegiate sports generally."

Connecticut ACLU executive director Andrew Schneider said the decision "gives force to the law that has opened doors for women over the last 30 years."

"The University's competitive cheerleading team does not qualify as a varsity sport for the purposes of Title IX and, therefore, its members may not be counted as athletic participants under the statute," the judge ruled.

While cheerleading may be recognized in the future, the judge said, "the activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students."