WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court Monday threw out a lower-court's ruling that the Michigan High School Athletic Association violated the rights of girl teams.
A group of parents and high school athletes, Communities for Equity, filed suit charging the MHSAA scheduling of girls' sports discriminated against female athletes.
The association schedules seasons and tournaments for six girls' sports: basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf, swimming and diving and tennis. With the exception of golf, all the sports are scheduled during the non-traditional season. That meant the girls' teams had less opportunity to be nationally ranked or obtain All-American honors.
Boys' sports are scheduled during the traditional season.
A federal judge and a federal appeals court agreed the action violated the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law.
But the U.S. Supreme Court said the case would have to be reheard in light of a March decision that said if a law contains a specific method of redress, a separate suit cannot be filed under civil rights law.
