Roderick Jackson

Teacher and High School Girls' Basketball Coach - Birmingham, Alabama

I am a teacher at Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham, Alabama. From 1999 until May, 2001, I was the head coach of the girls' basketball team at Ensley High School. Although the girls worked hard and won many games, they were treated worse than the boys in many ways. The girls were not allowed to use the new, regulation gym the boy's team used; instead, they used the old gym with its wooden backboards, bent rims and no heat. The boys' team traveled to away games by bus, while the girls had to make their own carpool arrangements when their games were scheduled at different times from the boys'. The girls' team also didn't have access to certain things the boys' team did - like the ice machine. In fact, one time I had to break into the ice machine so I could get ice for an injured player.

Money was also a problem. The girls were routinely denied any of the money the City of Birmingham donated to the school athletics program. In addition, the boys' team could keep money earned during games from ticket sales and concession stands, but the girls' team couldn't. Because of this, it was often difficult for our team to pay for game costs, like officials.

To me, this was just unfair. And my girls had no one else to stand up for them. So I spoke to the school Athletic Director, the Principal, the Athletics Director of the system, the Director of High Schools in Birmingham, and eventually, the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, who is the second in command of the system. I was shocked that no one seemed to care. Not only did they not fix the problems - instead, they fired me from my coaching job for speaking up.

I went to court to try to get my job back. Eventually, with the help of the National Women's Law Center, my case made it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. In March 2005, the court said I could sue for the retaliation I suffered because the law protects people who speak out about Title IX problems. Then, in November 2006, the Birmingham School Board and I reached an agreement. I was given the head coaching job at Jackson-Olin High and the Board agreed to make changes to ensure that it was in compliance with Title IX. I have hopes that the school system is on its way to providing my girls' teams, and all girls' teams, the equal opportunity they deserve.