Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home School Board voted Monday evening to file a Title IX complaint against the Oregon Department of Education in response to the ODE’s decision to combine girls and boys in the physical portion of forestry competitions.
The ODE decision stemmed from a complaint last month by two girls attending Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center in the North Clackamas School District. One of the girls had chosen to compete against boys in log rolling last fall. She claimed that she was bullied for her decision.
Since Sweet Home officials learned about the decision, they have objected and gathered information to help them respond.
The board approved Monday evening a resolution request that the U.S. Department of Civil Rights review and revise of the ODE’s decision.
The intent is to file it with the regional office in Seattle, Wash., said Supt. Tom Yahraes, “objecting on behalf of our female forestry students.”
“The forestry program and its co-curricular competitions provide a valuable experience for our students,” said the resolution, drafted by Yahraes. “Many students who are not part of traditional school activities have found a connection, identity and home in forestry.
“The co-curricular team and individual competitions for boys and girls promote confidence, resiliency, teamwork, responsibility and safe work habits while also teaching students about our Oregon forestry industry and land management systems.”
While the board has focused on the experiences of Sweet Home’s female students, “in reality, there are some 20 forestry programs across the state that have been impacted,” the resolution stated. “We don’t want to lose this valuable program for our boys and girls in Sweet Home or for others across the state.”
The decision has discouraged female competitors, called “Jills” in competition – boys are referred to as “Jacks” – from wanting to participate in co-curricular forestry programs of study, the resolution said. “In short, our female students want to quit because they feel that the average male student has an unfair advantage in speed and strength over the average female student in the several physical events held in a forestry competition.
“They feel that they are at a disadvantage to male students due to the males’ greater size and muscular strength. They feel the previous event rules of mixed co-ed and single-sex competitions were fair, balanced and equitable; and if females desire to compete in all-male events, they are permitted.”
Current team members Sam Mitchell and Becky Belcher were joined by 2019 graduate and team member Lace-Anna Shiffert to address the School Board.
Former Coach Niki Swanson and her alumni daughters Kara Baker and Callie Baker also attended the meeting in support of the program.
“This whole Title IX thing has really affected me,” Mitchell told the board. She doesn’t want to compete any more. She doesn’t feel like she can compete with the boys.
Belcher recalled winning her first awards: “It was a sense of relief.”
Her had work was paying off, she said, and last year, she was the statewide champion Jill.
“I feel every empowered,” Belcher said. “I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to.”
Soon though, she said, the activity will be all male.
Shiffert, who is a forestry engineering major at Oregon State University, said that forestry competitions made a difference for her, giving her a broad view of the industry.
“This decision that they have right now is pushing women out,” Shiffert said.
“My fear is this, you won’t see these ladies,” Forestry Adviser Blake Manley told the board. Last year, girls were 26 percent of his class. This year, they were 31 percent.
“With the new ruling, I guarantee that my numbers go down,” Manley said. “The hook, the thing we use to get students in, is being taken away from us.”
Sweet Home High School Principal told the board it’s the same story in programs across the state. Girls across the state are objecting to the ODE ruling.
At a competition held at Knappa just 10 girls won awards, Brown said. That was out of 42 possible awards in physical contests.
Manley said just three teams and about 30 students participated the event. Sweet Home did not participate. Last year, the same event had 10 teams and 105 students.
“Don’t give up,” said board member Joe Kennedy. “We’ve got your back.”
“This is a hard-working team,” said board member Angela Clegg, who worked with some of them in the Youth Watershed Council. “It just floors me.”
This is an industry trying to attract more women, she said, and this decision does the opposite.
Board member Chanz Keeney questioned the mid-season timing of the decision.
“You guys make Sweet Home proud,” Chairman Jason Redick said, noting the way they are responding to the adversity. “It says a lot about who you are as individuals. We’re backing you. We will back you, but at the same time, hold your heads high. This is what Sweet Home was built on. You’re the next generation.”
Board members Jim Gourley, Jason Van Eck, Mike Reynolds and Jenny Daniels were absent.
The board believes that the actions of the ODE are a violation of federal regulations related to Title IX of the The 1972 Education Amendments and the spirit of Title IX, according to the resolution.
“Title IX is meant to encourage female participation in educational programs where females have been historically underrepresented and even discouraged from participating,” the resolution said. “Our female students are fierce competitors, but this current attempt to help them has put them at a distinct disadvantage over their male counterparts.”
The competitions were already combined in technical events, including map reading, log scaling, timber cruising and job interview. Physical events formerly divided into female and male divisions include ax throw, choker setting, cable splicing, cross-cutting, log rolling, cable climbing and power bucking. Cable splice and cross-cutting events have a mixed Jack-and-Jill team division.
The board’s resolution outlined the ODE’s rationale for its decision: Because these events are considered industry career development events – and not sports – single-gender events are considered discriminatory.
The district’s legal opinion is that Title IX administrative rules support girls-only competitions in physical activities where female high school students are at a disadvantage because of physical size and strength.
“The whole focus of Title IX is to increase girls’ participation in activities and sports,” the resolution said. It ensures an “equal playing field.” It also encourages female participation and competition in a forestry industry that is dominated by males.
“In addition, in applying the ‘Oregon Equity Lens,’ which attempts to meet the diverse learning needs for students from cradle to career, it is reasonable to maintain a separate and equivalent opportunity for our female students so they may be encouraged to pursue a potential career in forestry,” said the resolution.
The district also objected to the timing of the ODE ruling, two-thirds into the school year.
“Many of our female students have been training and preparing for competitions for three-plus years, only to learn over midway through their senior year, the rules for competition have changed and they now have a sharp disadvantage.”
The remedies are simple, the resolution said. In a number of competitive events, girls-only competitions are permissible under the law, but if a female competitor wishes to compete in a male competition, that is permissible also.
“All other forestry competitions where there is not a physical advantage for a boy can remain co-ed,” the resolution said. “The above remedy we feel is supported by provisions as outlined in Title IX as well as the goals of providing equitable programming for our students.”