I hate to admit it, but Bush has now done one good thing

[Ms. Toad]

The girls' basketball coach in a school in Birmingham, Alabama was fired from his coaching job after repeatedly complaining about the second class status and treatment accorded his team (while the boys' team fared better). The federal appellate court said retaliation against someone reporting discrimination was permitted - as long as the person reporting was not him/herself the victim of discrimination. The case was argued to the Supreme Court today and:

>>The Bush administration is supporting the position of the coach, Roderick Jackson.<<

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-4645052,00.html

[Eric J in MN]

1. How much do you want ot bet that

the federal appelate judge was appointed by a Republican?

And that Bush will appoint similar judges?

Don't give Bush too much credit.

[louis-t]

2. Bush* will say he supports the coach

but let the repub appointed judge make the decision and then drop the whole thing. Typical.

[Ms. Toad]

3. I'm not saying it's much

but given that he's a lame duck I don't see any particular benefit to him for supporting an expansion of the law (as opposed to taking no position as his administration does on most Supreme Court cases).

[hatrack]

4. I thought you meant his leaving the country (however briefly) . . .

in order to visit Canada. Oh well. :hi:

[Ms. Toad]

5. Actually, I prefer he stay put...

Every time he goes somewhere the media feels obligated to quote him and I have to dash for my earplugs.

[Ironpost]

7. Heck with the earplugs, I use earmuffs.

[bri_in_austin]

6. He also signed on an update to the IDEA act

which helps children with disabilities. One important feature is schools are now required to collaborate with each other so that homeless children and children who go to private schools who have disabilities will be given proper care and attention.

I work in a homeless shelter and most of the kids have some sort of disability due to environmental factors.

Anyway, there's something good he's done.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Even a broken clock is right twicw a day

[Ms. Toad]

12. Yeah,

But for the last 4 years I've been waiting for the first correct time of the first day...

[Art_from_Ark]

14. You're right

So I guess the old cliche really doesn't apply in this case after all

[Hello_Kitty]

8. 'retaliation against someone reporting discrimination was permitted '

'as long as the person reporting was not him/herself the victim of discrimination' Uh what?!

[Ms. Toad]

13. If the girls on the team had complained

about the discrimination they directly experienced and they had been punished (suspended, kicked off the team, etc.) the retaliation would have been a second incident of discrimination.

(Even if they were wrong about the first one, as long as the punishment was imposed because they filed the complaint that punishment is also treated as discrimination).

The coach wasn't directly discriminated against. The girls team was treated like second class citizens, but he wasn't - as long as he kept quietly coaching. He was fired for complaining. The question is whether that is treated as discrimination when he was complaining on behalf of someone else rather than himself.

Some laws say that explicitly. Title IX doesn't, so the coach (and the Bush administration - if you take him at his word) are trying to make the law protect more people than the law actually says it protects (sounds sort of like Bush is advocating for some of them thar activist judges to get involved!)

[mtnsnake]

9. There is nothing that anyone can say or do

that will EVER make me like that rotten bastard chimp even for a split second.

[w4rma]

11. Wait until he figures out that liberals agree with him on this case.

Then he'll pretend he never held this position.