Peabody Ice Rink Renovation Didn't Include Title IX Improvements

PEABODY, MA -- The city may need to spend more to upgrade the McVann-O'Keefe Skating Rink, just six years after Peabody borrowed $1.4 million for a new concrete floor, new refrigeration and dehumidification systems, new boards and glass, and other improvements. Despite the upgrades, the 45-year-old rink still doesn't have a bathroom in the girls home locker room, making it fall short of complying with Title IX.

Title IX prohibits discrimination and unequal treatment based on sex in public school facilities and programs. The girls' locker room was built in the 1990s as girls hockey gained popularity, but a bathroom was later removed to accommodate teams of 25 players, according to the Salem News, which first reported this story. Mayor Ted Bettencourt has asked to meet with state officials to "discuss operations and maintenance issues that we share relative to the rink."

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Peabody Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo via Shutterstock.