Court Opinion

ID: 9478801
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 06:58:32.963308+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:46:37.568452
License: Public Domain

*965JONES, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
A review of the record in this case shows that Sullivan was virtually left alone to change her clothing in a female restroom, located approximately 100 to 150 feet from the boys’ locker area. Defendant Zarnoch testified that he did not know where Sullivan dressed during the time he coached her, see j. app. at 181, and Assistant Commissioner Shaw testified that “no specific supervision” for athletes is provided outside the locker area. Id. at 126. The record shows that the changing area provided to Sullivan is easily accessible to the general public. In fact, Shaw stated that because of the past history “of acts of vandalism and smoking,” the female restroom is without a door. Id. at 139. In contrast, the boys’ locker room is off limits to the general public, as mandated by league rule, and the “[l]ocker room[ ] [must] be kept locked at all times when a Coach is not present.” Id. at 212 (quoting League Rule 8.13). Finally, the hockey league rules expressly state that coaches are responsible for all children participating in the league. See id. at 209 (citing League Rule 8.9(e)). However, despite this overwhelming evidence that Sullivan received inadequate supervision and that her changing facilities were manifestly inferior to those enjoyed by her male counterparts, the district court concluded that the defendants provided her with “functionally] equivalent” facilities. Id. at 54. Given the record in this case, I am left with the “definite and firm conviction” that the district court erred in making this determination. Anderson v. Bessemer City, 470 U.S. 564, 573, 105 S.Ct. 1504, 1511, 84 L.Ed.2d 518 (1985).
Under Craig v. Boren, 429 U.S. 190, 97 S.Ct. 451, 50 L.Ed.2d 397 (1976), in order for a gender based classification to withstand constitutional scrutiny, that classification must “serve important governmental objectives and must be substantially related to the achievement of those objectives.” Id. at 197, 97 S.Ct. at 457. In this case, because the district court found that Sullivan was not afforded differential treatment because of her gender, the court did not address whether the differences in the facilities closely served important governmental objectives. In my view, because Sullivan was clearly disadvantaged by a sex-based classification, the defendants were required to advance an “exceedingly persuasive justification” for their actions. Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan, 458 U.S. 718, 724, 102 S.Ct. 3331, 3336, 73 L.Ed.2d 1090 (1982). Since I discern no such justification from the record and an “appellate court may not conduct a de novo review” regarding findings of discrimination, I would reverse and remand for further proceedings concerning this question. United States v. Yonkers Bd. of Education, 837 F.2d 1181, 1218 (2d Cir.1987), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 108 S.Ct. 2821, 100 L.Ed.2d 922 (1988).