Albany High School SUSPENDS girls track team members who wore sports bras at practice
NEW YORK: Albany High School in New York has suspended female members from its track team after they promoted a petition to wear sports bras instead of shirts during practice, reports said. According to the Times Union, members of the girls’ track team wearing sports bras were asked by Albany School District Athletic Director Ashley Chapple to leave practice last week.
The athletes, who complied with Chapple’s request, pointed out that if boys are permitted to train topless, they should be allowed to train in their crop tops. However, athletic director Chapple said it would be inappropriate.
Jordan Johnson, a standout sophomore sprinter for the Falcons and one of the aggrieved athletes, told the Times Union that it wasn't fair. “Wednesday, she confronted us about wearing sports bras and saying we couldn’t [just] wear sports bras because we have male coaches,” Johnson said. “She said that before and she said us working out is a distraction. … We have to cover up because male coaches are around.”
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However, Johnson had other plans. The sophomore sprinter started a petition online that would hopefully allow the girl's team to have equivalent rights as the boys team.
This Change.org petition is titled, "Stop Gender Biased Dress Codes: Allow the Girls Track Team to wear Sports Bras". The petition read, "Support the albany high girls track team as we protest the gender biased dress code. The athletic administration staff is attempting to exclude us from our sport as a result of the misinterpretation of the dress code."
It continued, "We’re being punished for practicing in sports bras in the presence of male coaches, while the boys team was asked nicely to put shirts back on and was not punished."
The petition includes a photo of the girls’ high school track team posing in sports bras, and as of May 20, has recieved around 4,683 signatures.
After the practice incident, the girls track team came back to the school to watch a lacrosse game. Three security guards and the athletic director were standing there just to tell the girls that they could not attend. On Friday, 13 members were supended and the following day each athlete recieved a letter which explained the reason behind their suspension. The letter accuses the girls of using foul language during the lacrosse game. However, the girls told The Times Union that no foul language was used.
