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BY NEYSA STROUP _ SPENCER — A lawsuit threatened by a 12-year-old girl may force the Black River Board of Education to permit girls to take industrial arts courses on the junior high school level. _ The lawsuit was scheduled to be filed this morning in Cleveland Federal District Court by the Women’s Law Fund, Inc., Cleveland, on behalf of Theresa Hickey, 12, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hickey, 11046 Black River School Road. _ It is the first Federal case of its kind, charging sex discrimination in a public school system. The suit will seek to prevent the school board from segregating all classes by sex. It will ask the court to prevent dispensation of federal and state funds once the money has been given to the school district, until the discrimination is halted. The lawsuit will also ask for a temporary restraining order, effective today, so the school board cannot spend any funds or make any student assignments until a hearing is held on the issue. Last Spring Theresa’s father asked former Supt. Homer B. Smith if his daughter could take industrial arts in the seventh grade. Smith refused the request, saying that in the junior high school in Black River Schools girls are scheduled into home economics classes. “We plan to institute legal action. This is not a threat. My daughter is relying on having the opportunity of enrolling in an industrial arts program.” Approximately 10 days ago, Hickey filed a similar request with new Supt. Larry Rodenberger and retained Rita Reuss of the Women’s Law Fund, Inc., as his daughter’s attorney. Board members replied that since schedules have already been computed for the seventh and eighth grades it would take time, perhaps semester, to implement a program with would permit girls to participate in both industrial arts and athletics. Last night, Hickey asked the board for its decision, noting time is of essence. The board could permit Miss Hickey to take the classes immediately, but this would not permit all of the other girls in the seventh and eighth grades the same opportunity. On that basis, the board discussed implementation of the program as soon as it could be established, but noted this could take, ‘until January or even until next year.” Barbara Besser, representing Attorney Reuss, told the Gazette the board is in violation of state and federal laws in discriminating against the child by not permitting her to make a choice of the subjects on the junior high level. The board contends the seventh and eighth grades are not chartered as a junior high, but as an elementary school in the Black River District and therefore do not come under these regulations. Asked by the Gazette if his daughter actually plans to take industrial arts if she is given the opportunity, Hickey replied, “At this time she is regimented into home economics. What she wants is the choice to take either subject.” Serving Medina County The Gazette 141st Year No. 198 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1973 Ten Cents MEDINA, Ohio Twenty Pages
Newspaper Details
Medina County Gazette
Medina, Ohio, US
Wed, Aug 22, 1973
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Tracy T.
USA 08 Jun 2026
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