College Softball Coach Takes Own School To Court In Title IX Lawsuit
College Softball Coach Takes Own School To Court In Title IX Lawsuit
Tommy Ramos, the longtime coach of Midland College softball, filed the Title IX lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on April 26.
By Marc Raimondi
A junior-college softball coach is suing his own school for what he believes is a "yawning disparity" in the quality of facilities provided to his team compared to men's teams on campus.
Tommy Ramos, the longtime coach of Midland College softball, filed the Title IX lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on April 26, per public court records obtained by FloSoftball. He is seeking compensatory damages from the school for the softball program.
CBS 7 was the first to report the news (http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Midland-College-softball-coach-has-had-enough-files-lawsuit-421110183.html).
"It is truly hard for me to grasp how we can have such beautiful facilities for all the teams, except this one," Ramos told the television station. … "It's about us wanting to have some pride in our facility and our girls to experience the same thing that those teams and those athletes are experiencing: great facilities."
In the complaint, written by Ramos' attorney John S. Klassen, Ramos charges that Midland has a "history and continued practice of maintaining significant disparities in the provision of softball facilities, publicity and amenities" compared to the quality of those things lent to the Midland baseball team. The complaint notes that Midland is a public institution, gets funding from the federal government and therefore is prohibited from discriminating by sex.
Here are some of the alleged disparities in accommodations set forth in the complaint:
-- The Midland softball team does not have lights on its field, while the baseball team's field, Christensen Stadium, has lighting. The softball team cannot practice or play games at night, causing players to miss more classes than baseball players do, the complaint attests.
-- Christensen Stadium is a state-of-the-art facility, while the softball team has its locker room in a trailer that is "decrepit," "rodent-infested" and doesn't even have showers.
-- The softball field turf quality is poor, while Christensen Stadium's turf is well-maintained by groundskeepers.
-- The softball field has no publicity banners, compared to Christensen Stadium, which has signage promoting the baseball team.
-- The Midland baseball team has four indoor batting cages, compared to worn outdoor batting cages for the softball team. Christensen Stadium also has batting cages for use by the visiting team; the softball field does not.
-- The softball field has no dugout -- the players sit on benches protected by a chain-link fence. Christen Stadium has full, traditional dugouts.
-- The softball field has two toilets, which must be shared by as many as 40 women during a game. Christensen Stadium has 16 to 20 toilets and 12 urinals, split between the home and visitors side of the field.
-- The softball field has no AC power, nor a drainage system, while the baseball stadium has both.
-- The baseball team gets more travel and per diem allowances and frequently gets charter buses. The softball team rarely uses charter buses. The baseball team also has a weight room, while the softball team does not.
-- Academic tutoring is afforded more toward baseball players than softball players. Softball tutoring is usually scheduled in the afternoon, which interferes with practice times. The softball team can't practice at night, because its field has no lights.
-- The softball field has no dressing rooms for visiting teams or umpires. Christensen Stadium has both.
Ramos is not seeking any money for himself, only the softball program. He also wants acknowledgement that Midland is violating Title IX and an injunction to force the school to immediately address these alleged discrepancies.
"It is truly hard for me to grasp how we can have such beautiful facilities for all the teams, except this one," Ramos told CBS 7.
Midland College declined comment about the lawsuit to the station.
There are reportedly more than 300 federal Title IX investigations going on right now regarding colleges, most of which have to do with sexual assault on campuses.
In 2013, a huge Title IX inequality case was won at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut (https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/education/huge-title-ix-victory-today-in-quinnipiac-university-case/). The school settled and multiple teams -- women's cross country and track & field, rugby, volleyball, ice hockey and basketball -- all got increases in scholarships. Quinnipiac spent $5 million in updating its women's athletics facilities.
Ten years ago, Fresno State set an infamous record with the highest payouts ever in Title IX lawsuits. In 2007, a jury ordered the school to pay former women's basketball coach Stacy Johnson-Klein $19.1 million in a sex discrimination and retaliation case. Former Fresno State women's volleyball coach Linda L. Vivas was awarded $5.85 million in a similar case and the school settled for $3.5 million with a former associate athletics director, Diane Milutinovich. This was all in the same time period. Some of those figures were reduced in appeal.
Midland College is not a high-profile, Division I school like those two. The Texas institution is a junior college and its athletics teams are part of the NJCAA.
Ramos has been coaching at Midland for 17 years, compiling a record of 770-248-3. The Lady Chaparrals have been to four NJCAA tournaments under Ramos, have won nine WJCAC championships and four NJCAA regional titles. Ramos is also a graduate of the school.
"I've been told, 'Hey, they have good grass and a good infield, that should be enough,'" he told CBS 7. "I've been told, 'If you don't like the situation, there would be other people who would be more willing to take this job.'"
Over the past 17 seasons Ramos has amassed an impressive 770-248-3 overall record. Coach Ramos has led the Lady Chaps to four NJCAA National Tournaments (2001, 2002, 2003, and 2008). Additionally, the Lady Chaps have won nine WJCAC Championships along with four NJCAA Regional Championships. Ramos has been named WJCAC Coach of the Year six times and four times NJCAA Region V Coach of the Year. Coach Ramos has had the pleasure of coaching the Region V and Region V-West JUCO All Stars five times.
Below is the complaint filed by Coach Ramos:
A junior-college softball coach is suing his own school for what he believes is a "yawning disparity" in the quality of facilities provided to his team compared to men's teams on campus.
Tommy Ramos, the longtime coach of Midland College softball, filed the Title IX lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on April 26, per public court records obtained by FloSoftball. He is seeking compensatory damages from the school for the softball program.
CBS 7 was the first to report the news (http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Midland-College-softball-coach-has-had-enough-files-lawsuit-421110183.html).
"It is truly hard for me to grasp how we can have such beautiful facilities for all the teams, except this one," Ramos told the television station. … "It's about us wanting to have some pride in our facility and our girls to experience the same thing that those teams and those athletes are experiencing: great facilities."
In the complaint, written by Ramos' attorney John S. Klassen, Ramos charges that Midland has a "history and continued practice of maintaining significant disparities in the provision of softball facilities, publicity and amenities" compared to the quality of those things lent to the Midland baseball team. The complaint notes that Midland is a public institution, gets funding from the federal government and therefore is prohibited from discriminating by sex.
Here are some of the alleged disparities in accommodations set forth in the complaint:
-- The Midland softball team does not have lights on its field, while the baseball team's field, Christensen Stadium, has lighting. The softball team cannot practice or play games at night, causing players to miss more classes than baseball players do, the complaint attests.
-- Christensen Stadium is a state-of-the-art facility, while the softball team has its locker room in a trailer that is "decrepit," "rodent-infested" and doesn't even have showers.
-- The softball field turf quality is poor, while Christensen Stadium's turf is well-maintained by groundskeepers.
-- The softball field has no publicity banners, compared to Christensen Stadium, which has signage promoting the baseball team.
-- The Midland baseball team has four indoor batting cages, compared to worn outdoor batting cages for the softball team. Christensen Stadium also has batting cages for use by the visiting team; the softball field does not.
-- The softball field has no dugout -- the players sit on benches protected by a chain-link fence. Christen Stadium has full, traditional dugouts.
-- The softball field has two toilets, which must be shared by as many as 40 women during a game. Christensen Stadium has 16 to 20 toilets and 12 urinals, split between the home and visitors side of the field.
-- The softball field has no AC power, nor a drainage system, while the baseball stadium has both.
-- The baseball team gets more travel and per diem allowances and frequently gets charter buses. The softball team rarely uses charter buses. The baseball team also has a weight room, while the softball team does not.
-- Academic tutoring is afforded more toward baseball players than softball players. Softball tutoring is usually scheduled in the afternoon, which interferes with practice times. The softball team can't practice at night, because its field has no lights.
-- The softball field has no dressing rooms for visiting teams or umpires. Christensen Stadium has both.
Ramos is not seeking any money for himself, only the softball program. He also wants acknowledgement that Midland is violating Title IX and an injunction to force the school to immediately address these alleged discrepancies.
"It is truly hard for me to grasp how we can have such beautiful facilities for all the teams, except this one," Ramos told CBS 7.
Midland College declined comment about the lawsuit to the station.
There are reportedly more than 300 federal Title IX investigations going on right now regarding colleges, most of which have to do with sexual assault on campuses.
In 2013, a huge Title IX inequality case was won at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut (https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/education/huge-title-ix-victory-today-in-quinnipiac-university-case/). The school settled and multiple teams -- women's cross country and track & field, rugby, volleyball, ice hockey and basketball -- all got increases in scholarships. Quinnipiac spent $5 million in updating its women's athletics facilities.
Ten years ago, Fresno State set an infamous record with the highest payouts ever in Title IX lawsuits. In 2007, a jury ordered the school to pay former women's basketball coach Stacy Johnson-Klein $19.1 million in a sex discrimination and retaliation case. Former Fresno State women's volleyball coach Linda L. Vivas was awarded $5.85 million in a similar case and the school settled for $3.5 million with a former associate athletics director, Diane Milutinovich. This was all in the same time period. Some of those figures were reduced in appeal.
Midland College is not a high-profile, Division I school like those two. The Texas institution is a junior college and its athletics teams are part of the NJCAA.
Ramos has been coaching at Midland for 17 years, compiling a record of 770-248-3. The Lady Chaparrals have been to four NJCAA tournaments under Ramos, have won nine WJCAC championships and four NJCAA regional titles. Ramos is also a graduate of the school.
"I've been told, 'Hey, they have good grass and a good infield, that should be enough,'" he told CBS 7. "I've been told, 'If you don't like the situation, there would be other people who would be more willing to take this job.'"
Over the past 17 seasons Ramos has amassed an impressive 770-248-3 overall record. Coach Ramos has led the Lady Chaps to four NJCAA National Tournaments (2001, 2002, 2003, and 2008). Additionally, the Lady Chaps have won nine WJCAC Championships along with four NJCAA Regional Championships. Ramos has been named WJCAC Coach of the Year six times and four times NJCAA Region V Coach of the Year. Coach Ramos has had the pleasure of coaching the Region V and Region V-West JUCO All Stars five times.
Below is the complaint filed by Coach Ramos: