most recent time the issue of a public/private split came up was in 2007, when a petition originated by Belle High School was put to a vote by a group of public school athletic directors in St. Louis. While some believed that it would have a larger amount of support the athletic directors as well as the state board gave it a vote of no confidence before it went to the schools. When the results were tabulated, the petition was defeated by a landslide (over 200 votes). Recently, in the summer of 2022, controversy was sparked online regarding a by-law pertaining to Speech and Debate competitions, allowing students to attend only 11 competitions during a school year, excluding MSHSAA District and State events, and the NSDA National Tournament. A petition was started online to change the by-law using Change.org. Gender equity Concerns regarding gender bias on both sides have been raised regarding MSHSAA policies. For instance, in legal counsel Mallory Mayse’s National Case Summaries 1934-2017, “The ‘gender’ category of cases [connected to NFHS] is second only to ‘transfers’ in total number.” Original questions center around inequity in education, which resulted in Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, stating “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education programs or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Additionally, The Equal Protection Clause, connected to the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, took effect in 1868 and states that “no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction “the equal protection of the laws.” The US Supreme Court designates state athletic/activity associations as State Actors; therefore, MSHSAA has legal responsibilities to provide equitable opportunities. This includes the following considerations: Sport and activity options that reflect interests and abilities Available scholarships at the collegiate level Equipment and supplies Game and practice times Travel, dining, and housing reimbursement/quality Educational and coaching support Facilities Medical care and training services Publicity Other support services Collegiate recruitment In the 1971-1972 school year, prior to Title IX implementation, “294,015 girls and 3,666,917 boys participated in high school sports; girls = 7.4% of participants.” In the 2016-2017 school year, as Missouri high schools have worked to create equal opportunities, “3,400,297 girls and 4,563,238 boys participated in high school sports; girls = 42.7% of participants.” Girls’ participation more than