The Sports Law Guru

Back in November I wrote about a column about Logan Young, a freshman at Bloomington South High School in Indiana, who was denied the right to play baseball, because she was a girl and softball was offered as an alternative.  Logan sued the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) based on a 14th Amendment discrimination theory, as well as Title IX.  Check out the column for background.

In my prior column I offered rulings from other jurisdictions tending to show that Logan would very likely be successful with her claim and that it would be in the IHSAA’s best interest to settle this claim quickly.  Well, it appears that the IHSAA agrees and is amending it’s rules such that baseball and softball are not considered alternatives, which would mean that girls are eligible for high school baseball.  Attached is the motion which was jointly filed by Logan and the IHSAA staying the case while the IHSAA approves the amendment.  According to the motion, subject to the IHSAA rules being amended, the lawsuit would be dropped by Logan.  The amendment will not be finalized until May, but the IHSAA commissioner sees no reason to believe it will not be finalized.

While I’m not yet sure if I agree with the outcome (I struggle with the concept that baseball and softball are really that different), the IHSAA’s rules on the topic will now largely comport with those standards which have been adopted recently in other jurisdictions.

Agree, disagree, or think my writing stinks? Let me hear about it.

Matt Breeden (SportsLawGuru.com) is an internationally respected business advisor and attorney based in Indianapolis, IN. His practice is focused on Sports & Entertainment, Intellectual Property, Commercial and Corporate Law. He represents Sports & Entertainment properties, as well as many other businesses, in a variety of matters, including: Broadcast & Digital Media Agreements, Licensing Agreements, Sponsorship Agreements, Commercial Agreements, Athlete/Driver Contracts, Insurance & Risk Management, Employment Agreements, Litigation Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Formation and Corporate Governance.