Women on Ice at Westfield State

This petition is aimed at the Westfield State Athletic Department, which has the power to create a Women’s Varsity Ice Hockey team, and help the University be in better compliance with Title IX. By getting as many signatures as possible we can prove to the Athletic Department and Westfield State Athletic Director Richard Lenfest, Jr. that a Women’s team is not only wanted, but needed.

Westfield State University (WSU) has had compliance issues with Title IX for many years now, regarding the equality of women athletes in sport at the University. In the past couple of years, the University has been giving more participation opportunities and benefits to their male athletes than their female athletes, which is what we are trying to change. Champion Women, an advocacy group for girls and women in sport, conducts an evaluation each year of universities according to athletic department data that colleges and universities report to the Department of Education. Each year they conduct this evaluation and make it user-friendly by giving colleges and universities pass/fail grades that are based on their compliance with Title IX. Westfield State received an overall failing grade. Recruiting expenses and overall participation opportunities were particularly problematic. Westfield State would have to add 133 female athletes to be in compliance. Adding Women’s Ice Hockey to Westfield State Athletics would move the university closer to compliance. Personally, I know numerous women who played varsity high school Ice Hockey that would be eager to play on the Varsity team at Westfield State.

Not only does Westfield State not comply with Title IX in the equal opportunity aspect of the law, but they also do not comply with giving female and male athletes’ equal benefits. In 2021, Westfield State reached a license agreement with Amelia Park Arena for a dedicated locker room for the Owls’ varsity men’s ice hockey program using a capital campaign. This locker room reportedly cost $100,000 to construct. There was no similar enhancement to facilities for female athletes. Not only is this a disgrace to the female athletes who are working just as hard, if not harder in their sport, but it is just unfair. As a division III university many of our collegiate competitors including Worcester, MCLA and Salem State, already have Varsity Women’s Ice Hockey while we still do not.