Three Utah school districts now have people whose job it is to more closely monitor Title IX compliance as it relates specifically to athletics.
Granite, Jordan and Canyons districts appointed a Title IX Athletic Coordinator to oversee how the districts are faring when it comes to complying with the law, and what if anything needs to be addressed going forward. The appointments came as a result of a lawsuit that was settled last year.
Sam Gordon, who went viral at 9 in a YouTube video showing her football skills, was one of several plaintiffs in a 2017 lawsuit that accused the districts and the Utah High School Activities Association of discrimination for not providing sanctioned tackle football teams for girls. A federal judge ruled against the girls in 2021. They appealed, and the case was revived in January 2023.
The parties reached a settlement in October. One of the terms of the settlement calls for each district to appoint a Title IX Athletic Coordinator. That person can already be working as the district’s athletic director, and may have other duties.
Here are the three people in each district appointed to the role, and what they’ve been doing so far.
Tom Sherwood, Canyons
(Courtesy of Granite School District) Tom Sherwood, director of high schools at Canyons School District, speaks at a ribbon-cutting event for when Brighton High was rebuilt.
One of the first things Sherwood did when he got the appointment was compile a Title IX report and present it the school board in January. HB420, passed by the state legislature in 2022, requires every school district to do so annually.
What he found was a situation largely compliant with the law. But, there were some issues.
“We have a couple areas where we found some ways that we could improve, and we’re addressing those right now,” Sherwood said. “I think all of the projects that needed attention are currently being handled and constructed. So I feel like we’ve been very responsive to the Title IX requirements.”
One example of that comes from Jordan High, where the baseball team has a concession stand and clubhouse, while the softball team does not. Sherwood said that project is currently in the planning stages and construction should start “within the next year.”
Sherwood, a former principal at Brighton, also said there could be changes coming regarding certain sports clubs for girls, but wasn’t prepared to expand on that.
“We’re being intentional about looking at opportunities to expand girls athletics, and we’re doing that,” Sherwood said. “I don’t want to get into any specifics, but we are looking at some of our local club sports that specifically involve female athletes and how we can support them and encourage them, and maybe eventually bring them under our umbrella as a district to help expand the opportunities for females.”
The lawsuit put the onus on school districts, not the UHSAA, to comply with Title IX. Sherwood said there are advantages and disadvantages to that, but it does allow districts to offer opportunities in sports for girls that go outside the realm of an officially sanctioned UHSAA sport, which is helpful.
“I think we are very proactive in trying to meet the tenants of Title IX not just because of Title IX, but because it’s the right thing to do to make sure that we’re addressing the needs of all of our students in a meaningful way,” Sherwood said.
Bryan Veazie, Jordan
(Jordan School District) Bryan Veazie, center, postes for a photo with the Bingham High softball team. He is the district's Title IX athletic coordinator, appointed as a result of the girls' football lawsuit settlement.
Veazie has experience as an assistant principal at Copper Hills and Bingham, and was also the principal at Copper Hills for six years before getting appointed as the district’s director of athletics and activities. Part of his role is serving as the Title IX Athletic Coordinator.
In less than a calendar year, Veazie has set up monthly meetings with the district’s athletic directors and asked each of them to submit a “comprehensive Title IX assessment” for their schools in June. He’s also in the process of creating an audit checklist he’ll use to make sure the schools are in compliance with the law.
“We’ll take that assessment that they provided, along with my audit, and we’ll combine those to determine our level of compliance and success, and to determine where we can do better and what we’re going to do to make that happen,” Veazie said.
In his meetings, Veazie said he’s seen a theme from some schools in the district when it comes to Title IX compliance challenges — inherited facilities and space.
In the last several years, the UHSAA has sanctioned multiple sports: competitive cheer, boys’ volleyball, girls’ wrestling, and boys’ and girls’ lacrosse are some examples. Space at the schools was already tight before the sports became available statewide, Veazie said.
“I think it becomes a real big challenge for our administration and our athletic directors to find a space for everyone that meets their needs — and that not only meets their needs, but that demonstrates that effort to provide the equitable opportunity between the men’s and the women’s sports,” Veazie said.
Aaron Whitehead, Granite
Whitehead technically isn’t the first employee in the district to focus on Title IX compliance in athletics. The district has had someone in a position like that for almost a decade, predating the Gordon’s lawsuit, a district spokesperson told The Salt Lake Tribune. It was previously filled by Dave Vande Veegaete, who testified during the bench trial.
The district has two committees related to Title IX. Whitehead serves on one, and oversees another that deals specifically with athletics. The others on the latter committee are Emily Grunig, Hunter Jr. High principal; Erin Tanner, Olympus High assistant principal; Pam Olson, Hunter High athletic director; Doug Larson, general counsel; and Craig Stauffer, Secondary School Supervisor.
“This committee monitors the vision and mission of Title IX athletics in our district including ensuring equitable access to comparable facilities,” the spokesperson said. “In addition to many other components, they also monitor and complete annual reporting requirements to the board, state and federal government on these efforts.”
The spokesperson added that school administrators and athletic directors have participated “fairly successfully” in a data collection process that calls for the schools to “objectively assess” their Title IX compliance and generate solutions to address any inequities. No other specifics were given.
Whitehead declined to be interviewed.
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