Bedford Schools Softball Players, Supporters Press District on Equity
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Bedford School District softball players and supporters recently urged the Board of Education and administration to take steps to ensure their team receives equal treatment to the Fox Lane baseball team.
During the last board meeting before the holiday break, several modified, junior varsity and varsity players as well as parents and coaches in the community raised the issues of inequity in field condition and location at the Route 172 campus and that their facilities are lacking compared to their baseball counterparts.
They reminded district officials that under Title IX, which became effective in 1972, sex-based discrimination in any education setting that receives federal funding is prohibited.
“Whenever I’ve played sports, I have never seen this amount of inequality for facilities, for uniforms, for training,” said freshman Tara McNamee, a member of the junior varsity softball team. “I have personally never felt this minoritized as I do when I play softball…we don’t even have dugouts, it honestly hurts that we don’t get the same amount of recognition that I feel our entire team as a passionate group of girls deserves.”
Several players mentioned how the multi-use softball field at the campus often gets chewed up because other sports and activities such as modified football and physical education classes are scheduled for the surface. That not only affects quality of play but increases the likelihood of injury.
Additionally, what serves as dugouts, batting cages and the pitcher’s mound for warmups is substandard.
Parent Josh Genovese of Pound Ridge, a physical education teacher in Connecticut, asked district officials to consider reconvening the Bond Committee and delaying the bids for the athletic work from last spring’s bond until there can be an equitable resolution that addresses the concerns raised by those involved with the softball program.
He also requested the district find a better location for the field, which is hidden and hard to reach by opposing schools and spectators, and engage a Title IX consultant in the planning of the facilities.
“We’re not here to take anything away from baseball,” Genovese said. “I promise you, everyone on the softball end of this argument loves baseball, is proud of the fact they are a perennial powerhouse and help bring the community together and unite the diverse group that all Fox Lane loves. We just want to set our daughters up with the same opportunity.”
While the board and administration did not directly address the specific issues raised during public comments, Board President Edward Reder said there had been meetings with the softball program’s advocates and district officials and that Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Glass and the administrative team are formulating plans to address the short-term needs.
“I know that Dr. Glass and his team are working on a comprehensive follow-up summary of the district’s action items, what’s being done near-term for the coming season, what’s being done as part of the bond,” Reder said. “And then there were even some things that I heard tonight that didn’t come up in those two meetings, things that I didn’t pick up on” at the community meetings.
Last month, Reder told The Examiner that more than $7 million of the district’s $62.3 million bond that was approved by voters last spring deals directly with playing fields at the middle school and high school campus, including about $1.6 million for improvement to the softball facility and the surrounding area. Reder mentioned that once the upgrades are performed, the surface will be dedicated for softball use only.
However, it was unlikely that the scope of the bond would change much since it has already been sent to the state for approval, Reder said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
