March 19, 2001
(U-WIRE) LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Two female members of the New Mexico State University bowling team are claiming the team sexually discriminated against one of them when the executive members decided the roster for the upcoming sectional tournament.
Amanda Bender and Christina Rogers said that in deciding who goes to the tournament, the executive members of the team decided to take Richie Hinson rather than Bender, despite the fact her tournament average is higher.
"They chose Richie because they didn't want to waste the money for another room on me because I am a female," Bender said.
"The correct way to do it (choose delegates for the tournament) would be to choose the better bowler with the higher average and has been to the practices," Bender said.
The team's by-laws state: "The top six qualifiers for each team will make up the first tournament team."
According to CollegeBowling.com, Bender has a total tournament average of 178.887 while Hinson's total tournament average is 171.733.
President of the team, Edmond Rede, said Bender wasn't chosen because the team didn't have the funds to pay for the extra room.
"The rooms cost about $85 a night and we don't have the funds to pay for an additional room, and it would have been against NMSU policy to have co-eds on the trip," Rede said.
Bender and Rogers agreed with Rede, but said it was discrimination.
The two women said three female parents are going on the trip and Bender could have stayed with them.
"I've always thought you should be able to go anywhere based on your qualifications. They are telling me I can't do this because I'm a girl, even though I am more qualified. That is not right and it shouldn't happen," Bender said.
Elva Telles is the director of Equal Employment Opportunities at NMSU said if the only reason a woman is excluded from a trip is hotel expense, then the issue is "suspect."
Alonzo Maestas, attorney general for the Associated Students of New Mexico State University, said the women came to him Thursday with the issue.
"I'm glad they came here to begin with. A lot of people don't know that ASNMSU is here to help out students. I think ASNMSU needs to get involved when things like this happen," Maestas said.
He said if discrimination had occured, it was important to deal with the issue.
"ASNMSU is here to help the students, and they (Bender and Rogers) came here and we will help them get through this," Maestas said.
He said when teams petition for a charter from the university, they agree to not discriminate on the basis of gender, and Rede along with the faculty advisor had signed that charter. He also said the teams by-laws need to be updated to discuss the sending of six members that could only be male.
"The purpose of the team is 'to improve bowling skills, represent the school and bowling community at collegiate tournaments and to learn skills as a team player.' This is representing the school in a terrible way," Maestas said.
The tournament, in Avondale, Ariz., March 24, is a sectional qualifier for the national tournament. It requires five members and an alternate. Three other members of the team had higher averages than Bender, but were disqualified making Bender the qualifying member.
The Intercollegiate Bowling regulations would have allowed the team to participate in the men's tournament having women members as long as the majority of the team were men. Had there been a majority of women, they would have had to compete in the women's tournament.
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