By Jennie
Recently I was driving home and heard an interesting story on the radio. It was about a high school student and volleyball player named Mackenzie McCollum who ran into trouble with her school when she became pregnant and wanted to continue playing on the school team. ESPN has a pretty comprehensive story that can be viewed here.
After the pregnancy was brought to the attention of the school (by the parent of another student; Mackenzie had told her family and some friends but otherwise had intended to keep the pregnancy a secret), Mackenzie was told by school officials that in accordance with district policy, she needed to get a doctor’s note clearing her to play. She was able to provide the note, but it was rejected because the doctor included restrictions, including one that stated that Mackenzie’s heart rate must not exceed 140 while she was on the court. It was only after the doctor provided a second, restriction-free note that McCollum was allowed back on the team. In the meantime, McCollum’s coach, in violation of privacy policies, had announced her pregnancy to her teammates. She alleges that he also restricted her play after her return. The school is now being investigated for Title IX violations.
I have mixed feelings about this story and some of the coverage of it that I’ve seen. On the one hand, the coach’s decision to reveal McCollum’s pregnancy to her teammates is indefensible; his behavior was entirely inappropriate and unprofessional. If the allegations about cutting McCollum’s playing time (as well as other alleged retaliatory acts) are true, then that, too, is wrong. And to the degree that any of this is about shaming this young woman for her out-of-wedlock pregnancy, well, I don’t agree with that. I think McCollum has done something (not all on her own, obviously, though it appears that the father is no longer in the picture) that will make her life harder, but by my own moral code she has not acted immorally.
On the other hand, my first assumption was that the school was probably more concerned about liability issues than moral ones, and nothing I’ve read about this case has given me cause to think differently. McCollum alleges the moral judgment on the part of the school district, but I’ve heard nothing that actually backs that up. Feministing has a story that calls the school official’s concerns (and concerns in general about pregnant women playing sports) “paternalistic”, but my reaction to that is that McCollum is not somehow constitutionally guaranteed the right to play on her high school team. It’s not as if they are trying to control her right to exercise across the board; again, it’s a school team and I would not blame the school district for being nervous about liability, given the litigiousness of our society. If there were Title IX or other violations, that’s one thing, but to pretend that the school’s concerns were unreasonable (for instance, in rejecting the first doctor’s note) seems disingenuous to me.
Furthermore, while I again don’t approve of slapping a scarlet “A” on McCollum’s chest, I also don’t think the behavior of individuals who are not school officials should be blamed on the school or the school district; McCollum references people staring at and whispering about her in the school halls and the Feministing article mentions the odious nature of many of the comments about the case on the ESPN boards. There are probably few places one can find more judgment, cattiness and old-fashioned meanness than in high school hallways and on anonymous internet message boards. That’s unfortunate, but I think it’s simple human nature at work, not some organized campaign of harassment or retaliation.
I’ll admit my view of the whole story may be colored a bit by the reporting when I originally heard it on the radio; the story finished up with the bright announcement by the reporter that McCollum intends to continue on with her plans (which, good for her), just with “a little bit more responsibility”. A little bit more responsibility? If McCollum had bought a guinea pig, that would be “a little bit more responsibility” – a baby is 18 years of legal responsibility, at least as many of financial responsibility, and a lifetime of emotional responsibility. I hope McCollum realizes that, and wish her the best.
Tags: espn, Feministing, Mackenzie McCollum, Pregnancy and high school sports, Title IX Violations
I have quite a bit of experience in this area. I am a Registered Nurse and for the last 20 years I have worked as a School Nurse in a state that requires not only a four year degree but also a School Nurse Credential. This is required because we are required to use our assessment skills on a daily basis. For 16 of those years I was a School Nurse in a high school setting . I worked at two different high schools that had about 4,000 students and very active athletic programs. I was responsible for clearing all students to play sports. The buck stopped with me.
I am in a different state than Texas but we basically have the same policy. A doctors note would be required and that note would have to state that the student could play in contact sports without restrictions. I would have rejected the first note also. Not because she was pregnant, but because it had specific restrictions that our coaching staff could not monitor and are not qualified to monitor. Also, volleyball is a contact sport and if I remember right the note said restricted contact. That is almost impossible.
Quite frankly, I find it hard to believe that a doctor would clear this student. In the comment section of the ESPN post, I read where they said this student had to go to three doctors before one would write the note. I am not sure if that is true but it would not surprise me.
The coach did violate this student’s right by announcing she was pregnant. That is a big no no. I can’t really comment on the restricted playing time once she did get cleared. There could have been many factors that played into that including the student’s decreased athletic ability as a result of the pregnancy or stress surrounding the controversy.
This school should have the right to make sure this student is participating in a safe environment. The same as they would for any other student participating in sports. I believe that some polices are guided by fear of law suits. In this day and age, how could they not?
Jennie and Pam,
I completely agree with your level-headed assessments about the young mother-to-be’s safety. I would add that the health and weel-being of the baby has to be considered, as well. I’m surprised that she is actually suing if she is upset about the attention?
I also wanted to comment that I don’t believe this school district’s reaction had anything to do with moral issues. This is 2009 and school districts have been dealing with pregnant students on campus for years. In 1969 my sister-in-law was a senior and pregnant and not allowed to come to school or graduate with her class. That was 40 years ago and it just does not happen anymore. It has not happened in years in public schools. This was purely a safety issue for the student and her unborn child.
Why would her parents help her keep this a secret and continue to play volleyball? Volleyball can get ugly. Its very physical. Whats done is done, but this is why sixteen year olds having children is a bad idea- often (if not usually), they don’t have the judgment or maturity to make wise choices.
As far as the coach announcing her pregnancy- that’s ridiculous, he never should have done that.
How could a doctor rationally think that her heart rate could be monitored? I think its insane that the doctor cleared this and I think the school is acting responsibly. Its not a punishment- its a safety concern.
The series of events is unfortunate, but I do understand the school district’s concern.
I wonder if Mackenzie really appreciates how much this pregnancy will ultimately change her life. The people around her need to be doing a better job of preparing her for her new reality – not wasting time and energy trying to make some “point.”
I wish her luck. She has a hard road ahead of her.
I read about this in our local newspaper. I live in Texas and have children who play school sports. There are so many UIL rules that coaches must follow, my kids have to get a physical every year, if they are injured they need a note from a doctor stating what the injury is and how long they will not be allowed to participate and then another note when the injury is healed stating they are cleared and ready to return to practice and games.
The coach should not have told everyone she was pregnant, that was wrong.
I do not understand how or why a doctor would give a pregnant woman permission to play volleyball. Its just to dangerous for the mother and baby.
Well, she stated that she was changing her style of play and avoiding falling on her stomach. I think there can be the tendency to overemphasize the fragility of a pregnant woman. But I don’t blame the school district for being extremely cautious about the risk.
Even if she did change her style of play (which she isn’t capable of knowing whether what she is doing is really a danger or not, in my opinion)- she can’t control the other players movements or where the ball winds up. She’s got bigger fish to fry right now, and though I dont think she should stop living her life, this is just one tiny change in a long line that she’s about to face.
Maybe I’m oversimplifying it here, but isn’t it possible that Mackenzie’s inability (rightly so) to dive for the ball or potentially being “gun shy” about balls hit at her midsection might compromise her effectiveness on the volleyball court? Couldn’t the coach have maybe been trying to put his best team on the court? He didn’t kick her off the team, after all. He limited her playing time.
Besides, if God forbid, Mackenzie got hurt and her pregnancy were compromised, the school and the coach would be vilified.
We make choices, we live with them.
Chris,
I agree. I said in a previous post :
There could have been many factors that played into that including the student’s decreased athletic ability as a result of the pregnancy…
She’s got bigger fish to fry right now, and though I dont think she should stop living her life, this is just one tiny change in a long line that she’s about to face.
That’s sort of how I feel, though I know I don’t have the right (or the capacity) to make choices for her or tell her what to do. Volleyball may be important to her, but in this case I can’t help but wonder if it’s a symptom of denial – she doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge what a big change this will bring to her life.
I think she is simply trying to find a way to get back at the school and the coach for releasing all the information they have on her. That in itself should be sued for. The coach for telling the other students when she would of told him she was not telling anyone yet did it on purpose most likely to try to get her to stop fighting. Then the school showed her ESPN interview at school during school hours. Which is definetly not school curriculem and a nick against her on purpose. I think they were right to restrict her in playing because of the safety to the child and herself and it should have been explained to her better but there actions for publicly releasing her private information is what she should be sueing over.
I know Miss Mackenzie very well. To clear up some confusion, she is not suing anyone. She/her mother filed a complaint. She just wants to make sure that no one else has to go through this. Online boards have really spun this.
Also, she didn’t have any problems being cleared by her doctor. I am a mother of two and was cleared to do all of my regular athletic activities during pregnancy. None of my organized athletic groups required a note. I care for my children, as does Mackenzie for her son. That does not mean that we can’t continue with life even if something tragic might happen. Her and her doctor agree that restrictions were not neccessary.
Her privacy was violated and then she was punished. She is healthy and able and the best in her district at her position.
When all of this passes she will get to be the awesome mom that the ones closest to her know she will be. She is very aware of the struggles she has ahead of her. She continues to handle all of it with grace.
Sabrina, thanks for offering your perspective. I do agree that Mackenzie’s privacy was violated, and that was very wrong. I don’t feel like there’s enough evidence to state that the actions of school officials were punitive rather than simply cautious. It does appear that in requiring a note they were following policy, and while I don’t think one’s life should stop due to pregnancy, I also think the school is within their rights to have certain guidelines they follow before allowing a student to participate in an extra-curricular activity.
I really do wish Mackenzie the best and don’t doubt she’ll be a fine mother – I’m just not sure that I entirely agree with the position she’s taken in this case.
Sabrina, thanks for posting.
I wish Mackenzie the very best. She seems to posses a lot resilience – an admirable character trait to say the least.
Sabrina,
I also thank you for commenting. I don’t know that you can compare your situation as an adult with her situation as a minor child. The school district has to take precautions for her safety and the safety of the baby. If you make a decision to exercise as an adult while pregnant, the decision is yours. Not the case when a student is attending school and is under the age of 18.
I heard something about a law suit too…stating that she was missing out on potential college scholarship money for Volleyball. I’m assuming that’s not true?
I agree that school should not have announced the pregnancy. It was a violation of her privacy. I don’t think (if it’s true) that it was appropriate to play the ESPN interview for the students either. That seems a bit strange.
I don’t know that it’s the schools responsibility to” nurture pregnant athletes” as the mother stated in the ESPN interview. I think it’s the school’s responsibility to educate the pregnant athlete, provide available counseling support, link to outside supports if necessary, and treat the student with respect. I don’t know that she’s entitled to play volleyball just because she wants to. What if she was 7 months pregnant or 9 months pregnant? Where does the line get drawn?
We all make choices in our life. She chose to have unprotected sex. She’s young, its bound to happen. She’s a beautiful, intelligent, promising young woman who had wasn’t completely using her head. That doesn’t mean she should be ostracized (though I find it very hard to believe that in a public school in Fort Worth, she was the ONLY pregnant student). It certainly doesn’t mean her privacy should be violated. But it does mean that things are going to change. Pregnancy is not something you can hide forever. The whispers and gossip were inevitable. Not right, not kind but an expected consequence in high school.