Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
Resolution Agreement
OCR Docket # 15-13-1020

The Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (the District) submits this Resolution Agreement (Agreement) to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), to resolve the above-referenced complaint and to ensure the District’s compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., and its implementing regulation, 34 C.F.R. Part 106.  The District is committed to providing equal athletic opportunity in its interscholastic athletic program at Plymouth High School, as required by the Title IX regulation at 34 C.F.R. § 106.41.  This includes equal opportunity in the provision of locker rooms and practice and competitive facilities, including in the quality, availability, exclusivity, maintenance, and preparation of the facilities.  Accordingly, the District agrees to take the following steps:

Action Steps

1. The District will make modifications to the varsity softball field or the varsity baseball field, or to both, to ensure the substantial equivalence of those facilities with respect to such areas as provision of seating and a scoreboard.



2. The District will provide the girls’ lacrosse team access to a practice facility that is substantially equivalent to that provided to the boys’ lacrosse team.  Both the girls’ lacrosse team and the boys’ lacrosse team will utilize equivalent off-campus practice facilities.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: 

1. By January 31, 2014, the District will submit documentation to OCR demonstrating that the District has approved either the construction of necessary improvements to the softball field, or the demolition or modification of current structures on the baseball field, or some combination both construction and demolition, to ensure the substantial equivalence of the baseball and softball fields in the areas of seating and scoreboards, as outlined in Action Step A above; as well as copies of the approved construction plans, blueprints, or similar documentation, and a proposed timetable for completion no later than spring 2014, so that the field will be usable for the 2014 softball season.  The District will also submit documentation verifying its progress in providing substantially equivalent practice facilities for the Plymouth High School boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams for the 2014 lacrosse season, as required by Action Step B above.



2. By March 31, 2014, the District will submit documentation to OCR demonstrating that it has completed the baseball and/or softball field modifications described in (1), above; and that it has provided the Plymouth High School girls’ lacrosse team with a substantially equivalent practice facility, as outlined in the Action Steps above.  OCR reserves the right to visit the District to confirm that the renovated field(s) and the girls’ lacrosse practice field are being provided in accordance with the Action Steps above.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The District understands that, by signing this Agreement, it agrees to provide data and other information in a timely manner.  Further, the District understands that during the monitoring of this agreement OCR may visit the District, interview staff and students, and request such additional reports or data as are necessary for OCR to determine whether the District has fulfilled the terms of this Agreement and is in compliance with the regulation implementing Section 504 at 34 C.F.R. § 106.41(c)(7), which was at issue in this complaint.

The District understands that OCR will not close the monitoring of this agreement until OCR determines that the District has fulfilled the terms of this Agreement and is in compliance with the regulation implementing Section 504 at 34 C.F.R. § 106.41(c)(7).

The District understands and acknowledges that OCR may initiate administrative enforcement or judicial proceedings to enforce the specific terms and obligations of this Agreement.  Before initiating administrative enforcement (34 C.F.R. §§ 100.9, 100.10), or judicial proceedings to enforce this Agreement, OCR shall give the District written notice of the alleged breach and a minimum of sixty (60) calendar days to cure the alleged breach.