Female State College Area School District students ask judge to add them to youth hockey team
Three female State College Area School District students asked a Centre County judge Thursday to order their inclusion on the district’s middle school hockey team.
The students — who were only identified in the 16-page filing by their initials — alleged the SCASD Ice Hockey Club has not done enough to create opportunities for girls to participate.
Christine Mary Brooks, a retired adjunct professor at Florida and the first women’s track and field coach at Penn State, wrote in an affidavit that the youth ice hockey programs in State College “appear to have an intended or unintended systemic bias against female participation past a certain age.”
“This discrimination is known to have a detrimental effect on the physical and mental well-being of girls and women,” Brooks wrote in the document that was included in the filing. “It is my expert opinion, with over 50 years of experience in training and developing athletes, that there will be immediate and irreparable harm to the girls who are being discriminated against.”
Some 34 children, including four girls, tried out for the coed hockey club’s upcoming season — enough for two teams, attorney Aaron Brooks wrote. Nineteen were selected; none were girls.
No girls older than 12 are included on any youth hockey team in Centre County, Brooks wrote. And their options to turn elsewhere aren’t abundant.
There is no girls team for 13- and 14-year-olds in Centre County. The nearest girls team is in York County, about two hours from State College.
The female students and their families pushed as early as February for the creation of a second middle school hockey team. The Laurel Mountain Hockey League, the school district, the club’s adviser and Penn State — which owns Pegula Ice Arena — all supported the idea.
The school district is largely without recourse.
The nonprofit hockey club operates independently of the school district, despite being sanctioned and receiving funding from the district.
Even some members of the hockey club’s board put their support behind creating a second team, Brooks wrote. But the club has insisted there is “not enough ice time offered by Pegula” to accommodate a second team.
The club, Brooks wrote, “never inquired about this possibility or other resolutions that would enable the greatest number of participants.” He declined comment Monday.
“Other options to cure the gender inequalities have been offered, however, the IHC has refused to engage in resolution of the matter that would be consistent with the goals of youth sports and SCSAD policy,” Brooks wrote.
A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
