2 La Quinta High Girls Want to Play Football

Chris Kessler and Annette Marietti want to play varsity football, or at least try out for the team, at La Quinta High School.

That sounds simple. But they have been mired in red tape since February. They’ve gone from the football coach, to the high school’s principal to a school district administrator, all the time hearing the same thing.

You’ll hurt yourself.

“Our major concern is for their safety,” said Roger Takahashi, La Quinta’s new football coach. “I don’t know if that can be guaranteed in practice if they come out.”

Kessler and Marietti, though, are determined to play at La Quinta.

“They’re putting things in our way that would never be there if we were boys,” said Marietti, a junior. “I think it’s time to fight.”

In February, the girls informed Takahashi that they planned to try out.

He referred them to Dr. Andrew McTaggert, the school principal.

McTaggert referred the matter to Frank Starnes, the assistant district superintendent.

Last Thursday, according to Kessler and Marietti, Starnes told them that the school district’s attorneys had advised him not to allow the girls to play. They feared an injury to the girls might lead to a lawsuit.

“He (Starnes) told us that we ran the risk of being injured, and that the risk was too high,” said Kessler, a sophomore. “But I think the risk is the same for boys. Anyways, everyone who goes out for the team has to sign a waiver saying they won’t sue the school or the district if they’re injured. Everyone. Boys and girls.”

Starnes, contacted by telephone Monday night, said he had no comment.

Marietti played on the La Quinta boys’ water polo team last season, in part because of a CIF Southern Section rule that states girls are permitted to try out for the “student team” if a sport is offered only for boys at a school, such as football at La Quinta.

School officials said they considered that rule when discussing Kessler and Marietti’s request.

Said La Quinta Athletic Director Jim Perry: “I didn’t make the phone call, but it’s my understanding that basically the CIF’s stance is that we better give them a chance or we’d be in trouble with Title IX and the CIF Blue (rule) Book.”

Title IX is a piece of federal legislation passed in 1972 to ban discrimination in any facet of education.

The girls said that, if necessary, they would take the issue to the state CIF board.