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.”
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