St. Mary's Immaculate Misconception

Although in any other state, St. Mary’s Academy would be the unanimous victor in the contest of fanaticism, they have traditionally been undercut by Topeka’s more rabid and vocal cult. But within the context of a high school basketball game, the little schismatic Catholic school might have finally managed to close the gap. (It’s an important footnote that St. Mary’s is a satellite of the Society of St. Pius X, a heretical sect which emerged in 1970 as a self-described fundamentalist reaction to the proceedings of Vatican II, and has been at odds with the Holy See since their leader was excommunicated in 1988. In short, their misbehavior is unsanctioned by even the ultraconservative Vatican.)

About ten minutes before tip-off in a game they were hosting against Word of Life, a school official finally had to inform the assigned referee duo – Darin Putthoff and Michelle Campbell – of an outlandish and unexpected stipulation to the contest: the latter would need to be replaced due to St. Mary’s policy prohibiting women from taking positions of authority over men. Both referees, of course, immediately balked at this absurd request and left, bringing with them in sympathy the other referees who could have served as potential replacements. As a final indignity, one of the school’s own administrators was ultimately forced to officiate the game, which they lost. (A statement to which the humorist in me wishes to add, “in every way.”)

St. Mary’s Academy is not a member school in the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), but it is on its list of approved schools, a dubious distinction which seems to give the school both the benefit of autonomy and an air of approval from the state. For the reasonable person, the question is not whether this behavior should be condemned, but rather, “Why are we even pretending to take these zealots seriously?”

First, the constitutional argument of discrimination masquerading as an issue of religious tolerance: the moment an organization – religious or otherwise – joins a state-funded league, accepts state monies, or wishes to benefit from the association in any capacity, it agrees to abide by the state’s conventions of nondiscrimination. In this specific situation, this entails observing Title IX, which insists rather straightforwardly that no one may face discrimination under any educational program with federal assistance. In other words, if an organization wishes to engage in blatantly discriminatory behavior, it must do so without the benefit of the state’s money or its support. St. Mary’s is no exception, and any other interpretation of the law is an affront to the other associated schools, those without openly misogynistic rules on their books.

And as for the moral case: the silliness of this pathetic little snub is self-evident, but the implications might not be. We must – not only as taxpayers, but as proponents of liberal democracy – condemn this appalling misconduct, and we must do so without compunction. This is a more necessary imperative than the apologists might wish for you to believe; the systematic subjugation of women usually foreshadows much more sinister bigotry, and as a corollary, the emancipation of women usually serves as a leading indicator of a society’s successful development.

It must be said – St. Mary’s Academy has the right to practice their religion as they wish, but we mustn’t sanction it with either our dollars or our consciences. KSHSAA’s immediate and wholesale disassociation from these extremists is a necessary but insufficient condition for maintaining decency; we must continue to condemn it after the procedural judgments have come to pass. If the KSHSAA decides upon any other consequence, they will have done themselves, every member school, and the rest of Kansas a grave disservice.