Female B-Ball Referee Banned Because of Gender

[Zool]

I can tell you from first hand experience, Amish dudes throw a football like a girl.

[MJZiggy]

That said, I hope they had to forfeit that game and fail to put together another officiating crew and forfeit each one until the policy is changed.

??? On what basis? It is a private school. One of our freedoms is to form private organizations and do things our own way: smoke cigars, be racist or sexist, have sex with your neighbor's wife.

The government can control discrimination in hiring practices, perhaps there is some angle there.

I'm referring to both angles. Firstly, discriminatory hiring as these refs get paid, and I'm also referring to any games being played against public institutions along with the fact that it is the school's fault if the game can't be played because they don't approve of the choice of refs. Refs were provided but the school rejected them. It's their fault if other refs aren't available or willing to call the game.

This is a tough call. If a woman in that sect wishes to be a referee, and is willing to go against church elders and file a lawsuit, sure, I would support her. I'm OK with the government forcing a sect to hire woman or make some other accomodation.

Wait a second. I already changed my mind. I wouldn't support a woman being able to launch a lawsuit against the Catholic Church forcing them to allow female priests. We have conflicting values, and I'd have to give the nod to religious freedom. Tough issue.

As far as your idea of forcing the school to forfeit games, or setting their school busses on fire, or the other remedies you propose: nah. Better to be tolerant of other ways of life. I'm not going to force the Amish to treat their woman folk as equals to men. Better to play the Amish in basketball than to ostricize them over a difference in values.

If the woman were a member of their faith, and the game were played only with members of that sect, I wouldn't have any kind of problem with what they chose to do. The difference was that she wasn't a member of their sect and if I understand what I read correctly, neither were their opponents, so this becomes the school almost pushing their beliefs on others. I have no problem with the way the Amish treat their women (or throw their footballs), but if they try to tell the Lutherans that they can't have women priests in their community, that's more problematic. That said, Patler's right. If it didn't bother the ref in question, it shouldn't have been an issue and should have been contained locally in any case.

[Harlan Huckleby]

you're cutting a fine line. First of all, what does it matter whether the school is hiring refs in or out of their own sect?

wait, i think i am getting your main point: this religious school is going to demand that the other team provide male-only referees when they (the religious school) are the visiting team.

OK, that's a problem. Still, i don't like your attitude.

[Patler]

If the woman were a member of their faith, and the game were played only with members of that sect, I wouldn't have any kind of problem with what they chose to do. The difference was that she wasn't a member of their sect and if I understand what I read correctly, neither were their opponents, so this becomes the school almost pushing their beliefs on others. I have no problem with the way the Amish treat their women (or throw their footballs), but if they try to tell the Lutherans that they can't have women priests in their community, that's more problematic. That said, Patler's right. If it didn't bother the ref in question, it shouldn't have been an issue and should have been contained locally in any case.

As I understand it, this game was played in their gym, and they paid the refs. I suspect this made it more of an issue for them. Sanctioning something they do not believe in. I wonder if they would have raised the question if they were the visiting team and not responsible for "hiring" the refs. That may have been a possible accommodation, only male refs sent to their school, but they take what shows up when visiting at another school. Who would it really have hurt?

[MJZiggy]

Well, if they were the ones responsible for hiring the ref, they needed to make it clear from the get-go, not when the refs were actually there getting ready to start the game. They should have handled this long before then.

And Harlan, Go lay down!!!

[Patler]

Well, if they were the ones responsible for hiring the ref, they needed to make it clear from the get-go, not when the refs were actually there getting ready to start the game. They should have handled this long before then.

Yes, that would have been preferable. It's likely that they never thought of it. If things are run there as in some situations I've been involved in, the teams submit their schedules, and the refs association assigns officials to the game. That's why I put "hiring" in quotes. The article said the official in question was one of only "about five" females in the association, and she has only done it for two years. The school may not have even thought about a woman showing up for the boys game.

[MJZiggy]

It could never work. I like mainstream music...

I could help develop your palette. Or i could suffer in silence.

For the love of a good woman i'll give up my psuedo hipster music taste.

Daughtry and Nickleback are my new favs. I just can't get enough JT!!

Wait just a second. How do you know I'm not some Brunhilda in real life. (and by mainstream I would never include JT. File him under "just wrong.")

[Zool]

WFT is a Brunhilda?

[MJZiggy]

Ugly witch.

[Zool]

Sorta like Bertha. Got it. I learnded today.

[oregonpackfan]

Got it. I learnded today.[/quote]

You still have much to learn! Your grammar is about the same level as the one used by George W. Bush!

[Harlan Huckleby]

WFT is a Brunhilda?

Ziggy is thinking of Broom Hilda, who was a comic strip witch a few years ago. Glad to be of service.

[Freak Out]

WFT is a Brunhilda?

Never heard any Wagner ring cycle? German stories? Live a little man.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

It could never work. I like mainstream music...

I could help develop your palette. Or i could suffer in silence.

For the love of a good woman i'll give up my psuedo hipster music taste.

Daughtry and Nickleback are my new favs. I just can't get enough JT!!

Wait just a second. How do you know I'm not some Brunhilda in real life. (and by mainstream I would never include JT. File him under "just wrong.")

I don't care what you look like. YOUR SOUL IS BEAUTIFUL!!!

[Zool]

WFT is a Brunhilda?

Never heard any Wagner ring cycle? German stories? Live a little man.

I should see more 19th century German opera?