Catholic School Ban On Female Ref Probed

Basketball Referee Says Kansas School Prohibits Women From Having Authority Over Boys

(AP)  Kansas activities officials are investigating why a religious school refused to let a female referee call a boys high school basketball game earlier this month.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association said referees reported that Michelle Campbell was preparing to officiate at St. Mary's Academy near Topeka, Kan., on Feb. 2 when a school official insisted that Campbell could not call the game. The reason given, according to the referees: Campbell, as a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy's beliefs.

Campbell then walked off the court along with Darin Putthoff, the referee who was to work the game with her.

"I said 'If Michelle has to leave, then I'm leaving with her,' " Putthoff said on Wednesday. "I was disappointed that it happened to Michelle. I've never heard of anything like that."

Fred Shockey, who was getting ready to leave the gym after officiating two junior high games, said he was told there had been an emergency and was asked to stay and officiate two more games.

"When I found out what the emergency was, I said there was no way I was going to work those games," said Shockey, who spent 12 years in the Army and became a ref about three years ago. "I have been led by some of the finest women this nation has to offer, and there was no way I was going to go along with that."

Shockey noted that referees normally don't work Saturday games, but he agreed to officiate because his daughter's basketball game slated for that day was canceled.

He said that while he and Putthoff were talking with Campbell, the school's athletic director walked up and gave Campbell the $50 she would have been paid for working the games, then asked her to leave the gym.

Shockey said he left and went to a restaurant across the street from the academy, got something to eat, then tipped the waitress $41 - what was left of his $50 officiating fee after he paid for his meal.

"I wanted to get rid of that money as fast as I could," he said.

The Activities Association said it is considering whether to take action against the private religious school. St. Mary's Academy, about 25 miles northwest of Topeka, Kan., is owned and operated by the Society of St. Pius X, which follows older Roman Catholic laws. The society's world leader, the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was excommunicated by Pope John Paul II in the late 1980s.

Gary Musselman, the association's executive director, said the organization will not make a decision until it confirms whether St. Mary's Academy has a policy of not allowing female referees to work boys basketball games.

If that is indeed the school's written policy, Musselman said, the association could decide to remove St. Mary's Academy from the list of approved schools and take away its ability to compete against the association's more than 300 member schools.

St. Mary's Academy officials declined comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

St. Mary's Academy is among 30 schools on the list that are not full association members but compete against schools that are. Musselman said St. Mary's Academy plays one or two games per season against member schools but has no more scheduled this school year.

He said if removed from the approved list for next school year, St. Mary's Academy still would be able to compete against approved schools that are not members of the association.

Musselman said the association hopes to resolve the matter sometime this week. He said he sent a letter to the school's principal, Vicente A. Griego, the day of the incident but has not heard back from him.

Putthoff and other supporters of Campbell said they believe state activities officials will handle the situation properly.

Campbell did not return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday.

However, she told The Kansas City Star that she was "dumbfounded" by the incident but that she is not angry at the school. She said she does not want the situation to go any further than it already has.

"This issue was going to come up eventually," said Campbell, 49, a retired Albuquerque, N.M., police officer who now lives in Ozawkie, Kan. "I just happened to be the person who was there this time.

"It's kind of a sticky situation. It needs to be looked at carefully, slowly, with all the facts."

But Shockey thinks the slight against his colleague is something that needed to be brought to the public's attention.

"I believe this has been an unwritten thing for a long time and either people didn't know or didn't want to know," he said. "Had someone told me about this, I would never have worked there in the first place."

Putthoff said he has called games at St. Mary's Academy off and on for 10 or 12 years, but doubts he will officiate at the school again.

"Out of defense to Michelle, I'm probably going to decline to go back there," he said. "We have to support our fellow officials."

Campbell, who is one of about five female referees in the Topeka Officials Association, has been officiating games for about two years.

"We don't support any institutions that would discriminate against any of our officials," said Steve Bradley, president of the Topeka group. "We support Michelle 100 percent.

"Michelle works hard. She cares about what she does. She is not a person who's on a crusade. She's a good person. She's a good official. You will not find a person who's more serious about doing a good job than Michelle."

Musselman said this was his first time dealing with a situation in which a school turned away a referee because of gender.

"We view officials not as male or female, Hispanic or African-American or Asian-American. We view officials as officials," Musselman said. "Discrimination against our officials is something we can't be party to."

Still, he said, the association wants to be fair to everyone involved and gather all the information before taking action.

[cybersense]

First, my question....(regardless of my beliefs of how God intended roles back then) Is why did this school wait until there was a problem to proclaim what their beliefs or convictions are in this realm.
They certainly knew the rest of the world, including this association, had woman referees. Women playing sports right along with men. Why wait until it happens? They made themselves and their faith a target by not doing so. If they want their children to play in sports with other teams that do not follow the same believes, they should have proclaimed this previously.

[libsrweak]

I wonder if they would let a man work as a locker room attendant at a berkley''s womens locker room?

i mean they have to give the job to that man..not unless they want to be guilty of discrimination.

[libsrweak]

Posted by catmalicki at 04:34 PM : Feb 14, 2008
+ report abuse

*********kinda like LIBERAL VATICAN berkley**********

they dont want anything to do with this FACIST country..except when they want that federal FACIST money...**its a marriage of convienience

[libsrweak]

Only pedophiles are allowed that luxury of authority over boys, I suppose.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ttinsly at 02:26 PM : Feb 14, 2008
+ report abuse


*********

and athiest liberals would make sure that pedophile''s rights are protect to do so..
(what do you expect a liberal to do with criminals?? oh yeah make them reality tv show hosts and Noble Prize Winners)

[catmalicki]

church doesn''t want the state to butt in, until it wants state funds. It raises money from its members being able to claim their contributions. A marriage of convenience.

[libsrweak]

Religion, to me, is a bureaucracy between man and faith that I really don''''t need.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by endpcnow at 03:43 PM : Feb 14, 2008
+ report abuse


***********

yes you need religion..if there is no religion THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO VTICH ABOUT..

like what most athiest say..''you dont like it..change the channel''

[libsrweak]

OH OH!! a violation of seperation of state and church..

the state butts out church business and church butts out of state business..

[michellem99-2009]

Gramma,ye wiser and yet it sad that ladies are 2 class in Christian matters. I do read yer words. I am for the ladies on this issue.

[michellem99-2009]

It is a church run school and the govt has no say on this..Sep of church and state. They will educate their pupils as to that faith and the family pay to send their child there. This nation is not a Christian nation..Never was. The constution..There shall be no state church for this nation. Yer barking up the wrong tree. Christianity is beween Him and ye. I must tuck my cross out of sight in a business. I can''t yak about Jesus where I live..Why it is not a church apt building. I am free to in my apt pray. I would be on the street if I did. It violates others rights.We can worship/not worship as we see fit but we we can''t push it on others who wish not to hear. That is my and their right as AMERICAN. Are we readdy to have a woman in the oval office..I say Yes..She could do a better job than a man. They held that office. She wants to but men are the problem.. Lady ye have a brain. Ye think I ask a man if I can do this/that nope. Ye use yer head.

[grammawhamma]

I was raised Catholic and sent to Catholic schools. NOTHING this cultish religion does surprises me. I am so happy I broke away from it as soon as I could.

[catmalicki]

As a registered republican Christian (former Catholic). I never knew Democrats hated Christians? Why didn%u2019t you tell me before I married my Christian Democrat Deacon Marine husband? This has nothing to do with politics. This is about equality. Schools and churches like this only exist because these people share beliefs. We live in a free society that encourages people to follow whichever spiritual path they chose. That is our right. That is why my husband became a Marine. The values of our country are that we are all created equal, and should be treated as such. This school is not violating law, but creates conflict between with our values, federal/state/local funds should NOT be available until the discrimination stops. This is likely not the only case within the school. Do they only employ only male teachers, school admins? In the end, this church wouldn%u2019t exist without members. The school wouldn%u2019t exist if parents pay for their kids to attend. Hopefully this group of discriminators is small, and hopefully they don%u2019t subscribe to the no birth control policy. On a side note, it is encouraging to see men brave enough to stand up to the inequities. That gives me hope for my four daughters. Thanks!

[offtheback]

Posted by demslie at 10:19 AM : Feb 14, 2008

I am neither democrat nor republican. Not Christian or Catholic (nor do I claim part to any other cult) Do not label me conservitive nor liberal. I am a humanist. I believe in the rights of all humans to believe as their hearts and logic warrant. That said, YOU ARE A WACK!

[michellem99-2009]

It is a church school and the govt butt out..men..she is going to do just that ref. It is time to allow IT and men to zip their pie hopes..I tell my friend zip it.

[jdubs63]

KANSAS IS REALLY BEHIND THE TIMES. THANK YOU MR. SHOCKEY..............

[cbs_oliver]

As a man who spent 35 years coaching girls sports, I cannot be more proud of a person than I am of Mr. Shockey right now. It takes real men to stand up for women''''s equality and not cave to bribes and favors from the threatened male establishment. An "equal playing field" includes the referees who are their to teach children the rewards of following the rules. It is too bad that some sick organizations still live in the "dark ages" of sexual inequality and degradation. With the help of people like Mr. Shockey, perhaps, someday, this "religious" school will "see the light."

Posted by exCoachKen at 10:27 AM : Feb 14, 2008

Well said.

[excoachken]

As a man who spent 35 years coaching girls sports, I cannot be more proud of a person than I am of Mr. Shockey right now. It takes real men to stand up for women''s equality and not cave to bribes and favors from the threatened male establishment. An "equal playing field" includes the referees who are their to teach children the rewards of following the rules. It is too bad that some sick organizations still live in the "dark ages" of sexual inequality and degradation. With the help of people like Mr. Shockey, perhaps, someday, this "religious" school will "see the light."

[demslie]

Have you noticed that Democrats are mad as Hell at Catholics treatment of Women (whatever that means) but have nothing to say about the Democrats best friends, IRAN and Al Qaeda that chop women%u2019s heads off for disobedience to men and use women and girls as homicide bombers because women and girls are men''s property like furniture. Yet read any story. Female Genocide by Al Qaeda in ok with Democrats because Democrats hate Christians and American the same as the Terrorists do.

[demslie]

This story has one purpose. To give the Democrat Atheists something else to be mad about. If your read the story from AP News instead of CBS (Communist Broadcast System) you would know that Putthoff is a Democrat activist. This whole situation was brought on purposely because of a Democrat Agenda to find something bad about religious schools and prevent them from contact with Democrat controlled Public Schools. After all, gay rights is important here, while Republicans have a war on terror, Democrats have a war on Christianity and Heterosexuality. If this was a story about a Lesbian-Atheist-Abortionist teaching little girls to be gay-atheist-abortionists, the Democrats would be applauding. And this is how they will run the country?

[cbs_oliver]

You can always count on the Catholics to start up on women. They don''''t like women or ***, unless it''''s between a priest and an altar boy.

Posted by cathaleen at 09:28 AM : Feb 14, 2008

That started as soon a Christians decided to adopt Roman values - quite a long long time ago - before the idea of Catholic really had any meaning.

It wasn''t a feature of the first forty years or so of Christian practice.

[cbs_oliver]

It is a bit of a misrepresentation to call a school Catholic in the headline if the leader has been excommunicated.

It may also be a misrepresentation to call the leader by a Catholic title "Archbishop" that he cannot hold.

The press should sometimes not characterize people in the ways they characterize themselves.