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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 14, 1998
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford 517.332.5046
MHSAA Files Response To Gender
Equity Lawsuit
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Sept. 14 - The Michigan
High School Athletic Association will file Tuesday (Sept. 15)
its response to a legal action brought here in United States
District Court that attempts to empower the organization to force
the public, private and parochial schools in its statewide membership
to change the sports they sponsor and the time of the year when
they conduct sports seasons.
Among the MHSAA's filings to the June suit are:
· Motions for dismissal of all claims;
· A pleading that suggests the named plaintiffs are not
parties with real interests as they have not been subject to
any injury;
· An affidavit of MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack"
Roberts that the MHSAA is neither a direct nor indirect recipient
of federal financial assistance;
· A motion for more definitive statements or to strike
many portions of the complaint which are so vague or general
as to make it impossible for the MHSAA to respond; and
· Special and affirmative defenses, including that the
plaintiffs lack standing, that the MHSAA is not a proper party,
and that there is no fundamental right to participate in interscholastic
athletics and thus no justiciable 14th Amendment issue.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary
membership by over 1,300 public and private senior high schools
and junior high/middle schools. No government funds or tax dollars
support the MHSAA, which does not accept membership dues or tournament
entry fees from schools. Member schools may participate in MHSAA
tournaments conducted in 12 sports for girls and 12 sports for
boys which attract approximately 1.3 million spectators each
year.
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