The City Council’s newly established Special Committee on Inclusive Equity; Gender, Families & Vulnerable Populations will take under consideration issues involving equitable funding for city programs.

By Jim Clark

While the nation proudly celebrates the monumental achievements of the U.S. Women’s Soccer team and their World Cup win this past weekend, the question of equitable pay for women players is taking focus in the wake of their victory.

Likewise, an initiative addressing the issue on the local level has been implemented by the Somerville City Council. At their latest regular meeting, an order was put forward recommending that the Council, in collaboration with the School Committee and the Administration, particularly the Director of Parks and Recreation and City Solicitor, draft a “Local Title IX” ordinance ensuring equal opportunity and spending on the basis of gender identity to athletic and academic programs offered by the City of Somerville.

Co-sponsor of the order Ward 2 Councilor J.T. Scott spoke in favor of the proposal saying, “As we went through the [FY20] budget process, I am grateful for the efforts of Madame President [Ballantyne, co-sponsor of the order] to get the spending broken down on certain subsets of our Parks and Recreation’s programs showing great disparity, not just in terms of the amount of programs offered for women and girls in our system, but also for spending on equipment, spending on facilities.”

Scot said that he was was struck that the city’s educational and school programs aren’t subject to Title IX requirements.

Ward 2 Councilor J.T. Scott is urging the drafting and implementation of a “local Title IX” protocol to equitably fund athletic and educational programs in the city.

Title IX is a federal civil rights law in the United States of America that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, stating that “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.”

Scott pointed out that Title IX covers a very broad set of requirements that cover any institution, and any educational institution that receives federal funding.

“So my proposal here tonight – and I encourage anybody to look into the full text of the order – is to work with the School Committee and work with the administration to draft and implement a local Title IX,” said Scott.

“I think we have been urging the city, the administration to equitably spend these funds and equitably allocate these resources, the Ward 2 Councilor added. “And while maybe progress is moving in the right direction, if the way to get this done is to mandate that by law we must have equitable spending across gender identity, then I say let’s do it.”

According to Scott. “It’s something we had to do as a nation. It’s something I hope that we can do here. Including protective athletic equipment, uniforms, supplies, allocation of travel benefits, years of compensation and quality of coaches. Let us have equity across the entire system.”

Support provided under the proposal would include funding for:

1. a) Protective athletic equipment, uniforms and athletic supplies;
2. b) Locker rooms and practice/competition facilities;
3. c) Allocation of travel/transportation benefits and resources;
4. d) Years of experience, compensation and quality of coaches;
5. e) Dining facilities and services;
6. f) Nature of publicity, marketing and media services;
7. g) Game and practice times and scheduling;
8. h) Facilities for and access to athletic training;
9. i) Academic tutoring services for student-athletes; and
10. j) Institutional support services for athletic programs.

The order was referred to the newly created Special Committee on Inclusive Equity; Gender, Families & Vulnerable Populations, established at the same June 27 meeting by Ward 7 Councilor Katjana Ballantyne in her capacity as President.

With that, Councilor Scott told Ballantyne, “I am happy – I am honored, in fact – to be co-sponsoring with you the very first item for your committee.”