Greely High School Addresses Title IX Inequities Uncovered in Athletic Department Audit

GREELY, Maine — An external review of Greely High School's athletic program has identified multiple areas where female athletes received unequal treatment compared to their male counterparts, prompting the district to implement immediate reforms and allocate additional resources to address the disparities.

The investigation, conducted by the law firm Drummond Woodsum on behalf of Maine School Administrative District 51, was initiated following a formal complaint about Title IX violations and ongoing community discussions regarding the treatment of girls' sports teams.

Superintendent Jeff Porter said the district sought the review to understand its standing on gender equity. "I want to know what we're doing. I want to know what areas that we need to improve in, if there's any, and certainly there was," he said.

Title IX, the landmark 1972 federal civil rights law, prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs and activities, including athletics. The law requires schools to provide equivalent, though not necessarily identical, opportunities, treatment, and benefits to male and female athletes, encompassing practice and game scheduling, equipment, facilities, publicity, and the use of private funds.

The audit, which began in fall 2025, examined athletic department policies, team rosters, budgets, sports offerings, facility usage, coach contracts, stipends, and booster club operations. Investigators also interviewed Athletic Director David Shapiro, the district's Title IX coordinator, and 16 coaches who volunteered to participate.

The review found that participation rates are roughly equal, with approximately half of both male and female students at Greely engaging in at least one of the high school's 29 sports teams. However, the quality of experience differed significantly across genders.

Perhaps most notably, field and gym scheduling broadly disadvantaged girls' teams. The audit revealed that female athletes were routinely assigned lesser-quality outdoor fields, while games and practices for girls' teams were frequently scheduled at inconvenient times. Investigators determined that individual coaches had been responsible for designing schedules, a practice that led to complaints from coaches of girls' teams.

Beginning last fall, before the audit was completed, the district required all coaches to meet collectively with the athletic director when designing schedules.

The investigation uncovered sport-specific inequalities as well. Equipment provided to the girls' softball team was not comparable to that given to the boys' baseball team. Female athletes had reduced access to batting cages and other training aids, and the baseball field appeared to be maintained to a higher standard than the softball field.

In response, the district's recently approved budget includes additional funds to improve batting cage access, practice areas, and uniforms for certain girls' teams.

The hockey programs presented particularly stark disparities. Both the boys' and girls' teams practice at the Family Ice Center in Falmouth, which operates only one locker room. The audit found that while the boys' team used the locker room for practices, the girls' team had no locker room access and had to transport all equipment to and from the rink for every session.

Going forward, the teams will alternate use of the locker room. "It's not our facility; however, it is our responsibility," Porter said.

Additional inequities extended beyond the rink. The boys' hockey team traditionally took an annual trip to Boston to attend a Boston Bruins game, while the girls' team attended a Maine Mariners game in Portland. "Simply, these are not equivalent experiences," the report stated.

Both trips, along with other team opportunities, were funded by booster clubs—parent and student-led organizations that fundraise for specific sports. Under Title IX, private money such as booster contributions must be used equitably.

The district plans to establish clear guidelines and administrative oversight for booster fundraising and activities. Porter emphasized that the goal is not to eliminate booster support but to ensure equitable distribution. "This is in no way saying, 'No, thank you.' It's just our responsibility in the district to make sure it's equitable."

The legal counsel paused its investigation several months after beginning, at the school administration's request, so that identified concerns could be addressed without waiting for the full report. In December, investigators outlined preliminary findings and recommendations, which Porter presented to the MSAD 51 board of directors on June 3. While the report was initially confidential and intended for internal review, its implementation and mention during budget discussions generated public questions that prompted the public presentation.

Shapiro directed requests for comment to the superintendent.

A follow-up presentation from Shapiro is scheduled for October 1, during which he will provide more specific responses to the audit's findings.