ACLU Files Same-Sex Class Complaints

The ACLU has filed two complaints against middle schools in Idaho and Alabama that have same-sex education programs. Title IX “prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs,” something which the ACLU claims the two schools are in violation of.

“We understand that teachers and parents want to provide the best education for their children,” said Christina Brandt-Young, who is an attorney for the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. “But coeducation was never the problem with failing schools, and single-sex programs are not the answer.”

The ACLU claims that “by forcing students into a single-sex environment with little or no alternative options, [the schools] rely on harmful gender stereotypes and deprive students of equal educational opportunities merely because of their sex.”

In Birmingham, Alabama, Huffman Middle School has created and used guidelines that suggest that boys and girls need “radically different teaching techniques.” The school has also separated students by sex for all classes (including lunch) except gym and some arts classes. Teachers of boys are also told to “talk about and model ‘heroic’ behavior, ideas, and stories that show adolescents what it means to truly ‘be a man,’ that is, an adult male who is essential to his community’s care and development.” These same guidelines are not suggested for teachers of girls. 

The Idaho complaint was filed against Middleton Heights Elementary School, and alleges that the school has also separated students by sex for all academic subjects and some non-academic subjects. The school claimed to have done so in order to address the reading proficiency gap between boys and girls, as well as to improve math and science interest and proficiency in girls. While girls are to be provided with a “quieter environment,” boys are to have exercise and physical activity worked into their schedule.

The ACLU complaint states that “Boys are seated shoulder to shoulder while girls are seated face-to-face on the theory that girls are more cooperative while boys are more competitive and should not be forced to make eye contact.”