Metropolitan
The Dallas Morning News
July 1998
H.E.B. schools reach tentative settlement in girls' sports suit
By A. Lee Graham
Northeast Tarrant Bureau of The Dallas Morning News
BEDFORD - A tentative settlement has been reached in a lawsuit alleging that the Hurst-Euless-Bedford for school district provides unequal athletic opportunities for girls.
Attorneys representing eight female athletes filed the suit April in 236th District Court in Tarrant County seeking changes in the district's athletic program, along with monetary damages.
The district subsequently had the lawsuit moved to federal court because it involves federal law issues, said Lynn Rossi Scott, whose Bracewell & Patterson law firm is representing the district in the suit.
A proposed settlement is up for consideration Tuesday at the school board's regular meeting.
"It's in their hands now, and we hope it wins approval," said Sarah Donch, also with Bracewell & Patterson.
District Superintendent Dr. Ronald Caloss said he hopes for a resolution. "I'd rather not comment on it since it's still in litigation, but I hope we can reach an agreement," said Dr. Caloss.
The plaintiffs' attorney, Julie E. Johnson, said the settlement fulfills her clients' objectives. "We feel like we've accomplished the goals we wanted to," Mrs. Johnson said, who said the settlement would require the district to make many changes in its athletic program.
Among those are providing no-cut soccer for middle school female athletes beginning in the 1998-99 school year, allotting more funding for female sports programs and hiring a female athletic coordinator.
"The major factor was we forced them to do these things immediately rather than settling on an open-ended time frame," Mrs. Johnson said.
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