In this morning’s local skewspaper, the Coeur d’Alene Press, staff writer Maureen Dolan’s article headlined NIC switches leagues reports that by a 3-1 vote with Trustee Todd Banducci abstaining, the North Idaho College Board of Trustees decided, “… for all sports except wrestling, the community college would leave the National Junior College Athletics Association and join the regional Northwest Athletics Association of Community Colleges.”
According to NIC President Joe Dunlap and Athletic Director Al Williams the decision was based on funding and necessary budget cuts.
OpenCdA hopes that the three Trustees who voted in favor of the change (Howard, Meyer, Nilson) made an informed decision which included a careful and detailed analysis of whether or not North Idaho College through its athletic program is fully compliant with Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972.
The wording of Title IX is straightforward:
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
Some clear and succinct examples of how Title IX might apply to the athletic programs at NIC was prepared by the Women’s Sports Foundation and can be found at one of its webpages titled Standard Language of Title IX.
OpenCdA is rather baffled by the position taken now by Athletic Director Al Williams. We wonder what influenced him to make such a dramatic change from the position he took in this letter he sent to NIC President Michael Burke on February 20, 2003, extolling the benefits participating in the Scenic West Athletic Conference (Region 18 of the NJCAA)?
OpenCdA congratulates NIC Trustees Christie Wood and Todd Banducci for wanting to take more time to make sure any decision to change athletic conferences does not result in unequal benefits for some student athletes (potentially a Title IX violation) and thereby place NIC in even greater legal and financial jeopardy. Trustees Wood and Banducci showed both wisdom and courage in their vote and abstention.