VESTAL, N.Y. – The federal government is telling several New York school districts that girls' sporting events should have cheerleaders, too.
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has concluded that school districts violated the law by having cheerleaders only at boys' basketball, baseball and softball games, and not at girls' games.
Investigators interviewed school administrators and athletes in response to a complaint filed early this year by a Binghamton-area parent.
The superintendent of the Vestal Central School District says the federal agency expressed concerns about the amount of promotion girls' sports received compared to the boys' program.
He says from now on, cheerleaders will be required to perform at an equal number of girls' and boys' games.
The complaint focused on the Southern Tier Athletic Conference, which includes 20 school districts.
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