Family files federal complaint alleging girls don't get equal treatment in local school district

PHOENIXVILLE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Kenzie Padilla is a standout athlete who is headed to Harvard next fall, and she'll leave some school records in the history books at Phoenixville Area School District.

"She holds multiple school records for swimming events. And she holds the school record for 3,200 meters on the track," said her father, Mike Padilla Thursday morning while speaking in an interview that Kenzie couldn't attend because her athletic abilities had pulled her away to an Olympic Training Center.

"She was identified by the US Olympic talent ID committee as a potential triathlete," said Padilla.

As a high-school senior, Kenzie Padilla competes for the Phoenixville Area School District. It's a district she and her father say doesn't provide equal resources and treatment for girl athletes.

"I don't think it's intentional. I think it really is indifference," said Padilla.

That indifference, Padilla said, touches multiple areas, including the outdoor athletic facilities that bear the names of former Phoenixville school athletes.

"They're all named after men," he said of the banners and facilities.

The disparities, he said, also extend to things like the rewards for his daughter's championship girls cross country team, which received t-shirts that the coaches had made.

"The girls appreciated it," he said.

That reward, though, paled in comparison to what was given to the boy's baseball team at the same school that also won a championship

"They were awarded with championship rings and jackets," said Padilla, acknowledging that booster clubs play a role, and that those too are subject to Title IX regulations, which mandate equal treatment, access and facilities for women and girls in sports.

The Padillas have filed a federal complaint with the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. That complaint includes alleged issues with funding for girls' sports and inadequate record-keeping of Title IX data by Phoenixville School District.

"We look at (the data)," which Padilla says was posted nearly a year late, "and it's riddled with errors. There's entire columns that are blank."

Phoenixville Area School District released a statement to Action News that read in part:

"...We take any allegations that run contrary to our principles and actions seriously and are conducting a full internal audit to demonstrate our full compliance and to address any disparities we may find."

Now that Padilla has filed a complaint, the Department of Education will decide whether to investigate. If they do, there will be a thorough audit of the district and whether it is in compliance with Title IX.

"And they are held to make accountable progress from that point forward," said Padilla.

Padilla says his intent isn't to hurt the school district but to create an equal playing field.

"I also have a son who participates in the same sports," he said. "It's not like we want to bring one down to balance one out. We want to raise the tide for the girls."

The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights could decide next week whether to take the case. If they do, their audit could take up to a year.