A sixth-grade physical education teacher uses a co-educational approach in the following activities: volleyball, field hockey, track, basketball, and badminton. However, the teacher separates boys and girls when playing flag football. Her rationale is that separating boys and girls in flag football addresses potential safety issues due to the physical differences between boys and girls at that age.
Which of the following is an accurate application of federal law and California law regarding the example above?
a.The teacher is applying a common sense solution to a potential safety concern, and co-educational flag football is not mandated in either federal or state law.
b.The teacher is misinterpreting applicable federal and California laws. Gender equity requires that the teacher must provide co-educational instruction in all physical education activities, with appropriate modifications, to all students regardless of gender.
c.The teacher is interpreting applicable federal and California laws correctly. As long as teacher language is "gender neutral" and both sexes are equally involved in practicing game skills, separating boys and girls in flag football would not violate federal or California law.
d. Gender equity issues are only significant at the high school level where the disparity between boys' and girls' sports programs is most apparent.