14 recommendations given for better equity between boys and girls sports
Here are all the recommendations the firm suggested from the report:
  • • Standardize and clearly communicate the process for setting competition schedules.
  • • Continue proactive steps to secure more competition for girls wrestling.
  • • Consider alternating primetime slots for boys and girls teams, particularly boys and girls basketball.
  • • Clearly communicate the criteria and procedures used by the transportation department in assigning busses for athletic travel.
  • • Monitor transportation bus assignments to ensure all teams have equal access to preferred transportation options.
  • • Consider developing an equitable rotation or time-sharing agreement between football, girls soccer and boys soccer for use of the turf field at Lyboult Field.
  • • Remove and properly store tennis wind screens during the winter months to avoid degradation.
  • • Continue working to improve the softball field at McBride Stadium by installing field lighting, constructing a permanent restroom facility, add permanent outfield fencing, repair or upgrade the scoreboard and public address system and improve accessibility to the softball field.
  • • Relocate where the girls wrestling team practices or remove safety hazards from the girls wrestling room.
  • • Develop a plan to provide equitable and private locker room facilities for the boys wrestling team.
  • • Develop an interests and abilities survey and guidelines for the use of the results of such surveys for adding sports (both girls and boys sports).
  • • Create a content calendar to ensure equitable promotion of boys and girls teams across its website, social media platforms and the school's morning announcements.
  • • Develop a standard athletic department policy or procedure for use of money raised by athletic teams through fundraising efforts.
  • • Form a student-athlete advisory group to allow for more student input in athletics and potential earlier detection of concerns.
RICHMOND, IN — After nearly a year since the Richmond Community Schools board of trustees approved a contract for a Title IX audit with high school athletics, the report is out.

While the report found no Title IX violations in its audit, Church, Church, Hittle and Antrim, the Noblesville-based law firm responsible for the audit, recommended several actions the corporation should take for better equity between girls and boys sports.

The report was provided to the Palladium-Item in its entirety with the exception of the report's interview list, as board president Kym Pickering said in Wednesday's meeting that they didn't want the interviewees to "feel like they're hounded about anything that anyone thinks they may or may not have said."

Participation numbers in girls sports not proportionate to boys



One disparity the audit said is the number of girls participating in sports to boys at Richmond High School, as the 2024-25 school year had 250 boys and 169 girls, adding that an additional 54 girls are needed to be participating in order to be proportionate with the school's enrollment.

The number of female student-athletes last year (169) is down from the previous four years, but has remained steady at around 40% of the school's athletes being girls (614 girls to 687 boys last year), and found that the average girls sports team size was 15 student-athletes.

The report recommended the athletic department look into adding more girls sports to supplement the shortage of female student-athletes, such as flag football, lacrosse and field and ice hockey, among others.
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