News

Actions

Judge orders survey on whether girls want to play football in Sam Gordon’s lawsuit against Utah school districts

Posted at 3:19 PM, Apr 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-29 18:31:13-04

SALT LAKE CITY — A federal judge has ordered a survey to be sent out gauging interest in whether girls would want to play tackle football.

It’s part of a lawsuit that viral football star Sam Gordon and others have filed against the Jordan, Granite and Canyons school districts, as well as the Utah High School Activities Association.

Gordon and a group of unnamed girls filed a lawsuit against the school districts alleging a violation of Title IX, the federal law that guards against sex discrimination. They allege that schools have rejected their request to form a girls tackle football team.

The order directs lawyers for Gordon and the other girls as well as the districts, to meet to come up with language for a survey to see if anyone is really interested in it. That’s a key issue in the ongoing litigation.

So U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead issued Monday’s order for a survey.

“The parties are ORDERED, within the next twenty-one (21) days, to meet and confer in good faith to reach agreement as to the methodology, content, format, manner of administration, cost and any other issue that may be relevant to the survey process. Each party’s respective survey expert may participate in the meet and confer process. If after such time, the parties are unable to reach agreement, they may submit those issues still in dispute to the court,” Judge Pead wrote.

Gordon became a star when video of her playing tackle football and beating boys her age went viral. She has appeared in a Super Bowl ad and been honored for her work to push girls to play football.

Read the judge’s ruling here: