Thoughts on if this is a case for filing for discrimination?

[Trevionesmommy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

I signed my daughter up for competition cheer in our community. Cost was $200. They allowed us to pay $50/month. They also allowed corporate sponsorship, and my job sent a check for $150. This was applied to my account on May 8, and I received an email from the treasurer letting me know it was applied and that I owed a balance of $50, due by June 2nd.

I also had to pay $65 for a practice uniform, due May 15th. I mailed a check on May 12.

On May 16th, I got a very condescending email from the treasurer basically saying that competition cheer is very expensive, etc etc and that since I had not paid on my registration fees other than the $150 corporate sponsorship and they didn't receive my $65 check, therefore they decided to remove my daughter from the competition team. A paragraph was also added that stated "While we support all members of the community, we have financial restrictions we must abide by."

The following day, May 17th, in an app that the whole team was a part of, another mom messaged the group that she was out of town and had forgotten to pay for the practice uniform, and wondered if it was ok to drop a check off that day. She was told absolutely. I also heard from a fellow cheer mom that my check was also received in the mail that day.

Very long story short, we live in a predominantly white, mostly upper middle class town. My daughter is biracial, and we live in one of the lower income areas of the town.

I have first hand information that my daughter was the only one kicked off the team for non payment. Even though both the email I received and my online account reflect that I only owe $50 more and it isn't due until June 2nd.

I've sent multiple emails but have not gotten any response.

I appreciate any insight. I truly feel it's blatant discrimination, but I also know I am one angry mom right now and my emotions could be clouding my judgement right now.

Thank you in advance!

 

[drruthless]

Thoughts?....

You will lose.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

I signed my daughter up for competition cheer in our community. Cost was $200. They allowed us to pay $50/month. They also allowed corporate sponsorship, and my job sent a check for $150. This was applied to my account on May 8, and I received an email from the treasurer letting me know it was applied and that I owed a balance of $50, due by June 2nd.

I also had to pay $65 for a practice uniform, due May 15th. I mailed a check on May 12.

On May 16th, I got a very condescending email from the treasurer basically saying that competition cheer is very expensive, etc etc and that since I had not paid on my registration fees other than the $150 corporate sponsorship and they didn't receive my $65 check, therefore they decided to remove my daughter from the competition team. A paragraph was also added that stated "While we support all members of the community, we have financial restrictions we must abide by."

The following day, May 17th, in an app that the whole team was a part of, another mom messaged the group that she was out of town and had forgotten to pay for the practice uniform, and wondered if it was ok to drop a check off that day. She was told absolutely. I also heard from a fellow cheer mom that my check was also received in the mail that day.

Very long story short, we live in a predominantly white, mostly upper middle class town. My daughter is biracial, and we live in one of the lower income areas of the town.

I have first hand information that my daughter was the only one kicked off the team for non payment. Even though both the email I received and my online account reflect that I only owe $50 more and it isn't due until June 2nd.

I've sent multiple emails but have not gotten any response.

I appreciate any insight. I truly feel it's blatant discrimination, but I also know I am one angry mom right now and my emotions could be clouding my judgement right now.

Thank you in advance!

It is tough to say from what you have posted if your daughter was discriminated against because of her race and the area in your community where you live, or whether you missed deadlines that others were held to. It is possible that there were reasons other than those given why the one mom was allowed to pay late.

Racial discrimination can be subtle.

Is the competition cheer group a city-sponsored group, a school-sponsored group, or a private organization?

 

[Trevionesmommy]

It is tough to say from what you have posted if your daughter was discriminated against because of her race and the area in your community where you live, or whether you missed deadlines that others were held to. It is possible that there were reasons other than those given why the one mom was allowed to pay late.

Racial discrimination can be subtle.

Is the competition cheer group a city-sponsored group, a school-sponsored group, or a private organization?

It is a township sponsored activity.

 

[jimnyc]

I truly feel it's blatant discrimination

And yet you have provided absolutely nothing to show ANY discrimination was involved whatsoever.

Maybe if you pay ALL of the fees up to date, including payments, perhaps they'll let her back on the team? Have you tried asking them if you pay the entire bill if they would do that?

 

[not2cleverRed]

It is tough to say from what you have posted if your daughter was discriminated against because of her race and the area in your community where you live, or whether you missed deadlines that others were held to. It is possible that there were reasons other than those given why the one mom was allowed to pay late.

Racial discrimination can be subtle.

Is the competition cheer group a city-sponsored group, a school-sponsored group, or a private organization?

Additionally, there may be one of those clique things.

My child and I are mono-racial. Still, there are things in my community where I am held to one standard and others to a much different standard... because I'm not "one of them". I didn't grow up here. I didn't go to high school with them. (All else is icing on the cake.)

You have the double whammy.

And yes, you can question "Is it because?" - but they may be truly clueless about their biases.

I can only tell you how I would have handled it.

1) May 16th: Respond to the Treasurer's email with a cc to whoever is on the board and the coaches simply stating, "A check for the amount in question was mailed on May 12th."
2) Continue taking your child to practices, etc. If confronted, be polite but assertive. You've tried to pay, etc.
3) May 17th: Reply All to the email from the frantic Mom with, "Well, I sent my check on May 12th, and the Treasurer told me yesterday [paraphrase of letter]."
4) Go up the food chain with the town.
5) Write an opinion piece about your experience for the local paper or other media. <-- Last resort if there's still no movement.

Note: Did they cash that $65 check?

 

[quincy]

Additionally, there may be one of those clique things.

My child and I are mono-racial. Still, there are things in my community where I am held to one standard and others to a much different standard... because I'm not "one of them". I didn't grow up here. I didn't go to high school with them. (All else is icing on the cake.)

You have the double whammy.

And yes, you can question "Is it because?" - but they may be truly clueless about their biases.

I can only tell you how I would have handled it.

1) May 16th: Respond to the Treasurer's email with a cc to whoever is on the board and the coaches simply stating, "A check for the amount in question was mailed on May 12th."
2) Continue taking your child to practices, etc. If confronted, be polite but assertive. You've tried to pay, etc.
3) May 17th: Reply All to the email from the frantic Mom with, "Well, I sent my check on May 12th, and the Treasurer told me yesterday [paraphrase of letter]."
4) Go up the food chain with the town.
5) Write an opinion piece about your experience for the local paper or other media. <-- Last resort if there's still no movement.

Note: Did they cash that $65 check?

I think it best to avoid an "opinion piece" for the local newspaper.

Opinions are very hard for most people to express without straying into generalizations, embellishments, and/or false facts. This is especially the case when someone believes they have been wronged but have no proof to support these beliefs.

Anything that is not pure opinion can be fodder for a lawsuit.

It would be smarter, in my opinion, to seek clarification from the township on why exactly your daughter has been excluded. I suggest an in-person meeting with the cheer club organizer, taking documentation with you to the meeting showing you met the deadlines as agreed to earlier.

Because this is a township sponsored group, there must be an adherence to discrimination laws that a private organization does not (necessarily) have to worry about.

 

[Trevionesmommy]

And yet you have provided absolutely nothing to show ANY discrimination was involved whatsoever.

Maybe if you pay ALL of the fees up to date, including payments, perhaps they'll let her back on the team? Have you tried asking them if you pay the entire bill if they would do that?

All payments have been up to date. No payment due until June 2nd. Final payment. Last 50 of 200.

Any other parent who was making payments would only be making their 2nd payment June 2nd. 2nd of 4 payments.

I understand that I don't have any direct evidence of discrimination. Other than the paragraph stating "While we support all members of our community, we have financial restrictions we must adhere to." That seems like a very underhanded racist remark to me.

Or the fact my daughter is the only black child on the team. Or would have been.

Or the fact that multiple other parents didn't pay for practice gear on time (meanwhile my check was dated and postmarked for May 12th, 3 days before due date), one parent freely admitted she simply forgot until 2 days after the due date, one day after my daughter was kicked off the team.

I absolutely don't want her on the team now. Practices are closed and if they treat my baby the same way they treated me, I won't be there to potect her.

 

[Trevionesmommy]

Additionally, there may be one of those clique things.

My child and I are mono-racial. Still, there are things in my community where I am held to one standard and others to a much different standard... because I'm not "one of them". I didn't grow up here. I didn't go to high school with them. (All else is icing on the cake.)

You have the double whammy.

And yes, you can question "Is it because?" - but they may be truly clueless about their biases.

I can only tell you how I would have handled it.

1) May 16th: Respond to the Treasurer's email with a cc to whoever is on the board and the coaches simply stating, "A check for the amount in question was mailed on May 12th."
2) Continue taking your child to practices, etc. If confronted, be polite but assertive. You've tried to pay, etc.
3) May 17th: Reply All to the email from the frantic Mom with, "Well, I sent my check on May 12th, and the Treasurer told me yesterday [paraphrase of letter]."
4) Go up the food chain with the town.
5) Write an opinion piece about your experience for the local paper or other media. <-- Last resort if there's still no movement.

Note: Did they cash that $65 check?

I've sent multiple emails up the chain. Nobody will respond. When other parents I know who have daughters on a different squad inquired about it, they got all hush hush about it, wouldn't continue conversations through text, only through phone calls, didn't want to talk about it etc.

They haven't cashed the check, nor have they returned it to me.

They did cash the original $150 check tho, and applied it to my online account.

It just sucks because we have lived here my kids whole lives, and have been involved in the township sports leagues with 3 kids for the last 3 years. We've always been supportive and gone above and beyond. And now I feel like I don't need to have any of my kids be involved in football or any other township sponsored activities.

 

[quincy]

... I understand that I don't have any direct evidence of discrimination. Other than the paragraph stating "While we support all members of our community, we have financial restrictions we must adhere to." That seems like a very underhanded racist remark to me.

Here ^^^ you appear to be seeing racism where it does not seem to exist.

Your decision to walk away from the cheer club without argument could be what is best for your child. Perhaps you can find another activity for her to participate in that is more welcoming.

Good luck.

 

[not2cleverRed]

I'm wondering... Since your employer sponsored your daughter, what do they think of this?

You know your community better than any of us. At the very least, it sounds like you've not been treated fairly.

 

[CTU]

Other than the paragraph stating "While we support all members of our community, we have financial restrictions we must adhere to." That seems like a very underhanded racist remark to me.

With all due respect, on what planet does that even loosely suggest racism?!

 

[cbg]

Thread hijack; CTU, please read your PM's "down the street". Thank you.

End thread hijack.

 

[quincy]

I'm wondering... Since your employer sponsored your daughter, what do they think of this? ...

Good question, Red.

I, too, am interested in hearing what the employer thinks of it all, especially since the employer's check was cashed.

 

[Trevionesmommy]

With all due respect, on what planet does that even loosely suggest racism?!

I am going to make an assumption here that you are white. I'm trying to think of a good scenario to help you to understand why it might seem like a racist remark to someone without the benefit of white privilege, but it's hard to do so. Because when you never ever have a situation where you are treated unfairly because of the color of your skin, it's really hard to think outside the box to understand. On the other hand, when someone has had to deal with those kind of situations, it makes it hard to think that, gee, maybe THIS time, it's not a discriminatory thing.

But thank you all for your input.

I haven't decided yet which route to take, but I have met with a lawyer and I will see what his decision is this week.

In response to my employer - I haven't yet told them. Because the have a store in my community, and have supported them in many ways over the years. I will tell them, depending on my eventual decision on what to do.