October 19, 2022
Civil Rights Division
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
To whom it may concern:
An unusual form of discrimination exists at Bellmont High School, part of the North Adams Community School system in Decatur, Indiana. Participation in at least two sports, basketball and baseball, is limited to affiliation with one of two religious organizations. Those two organizations contribute approximately 30% of the students at Bellmont, but 98% of the players in the two sports studied. Basically there are three grade school systems feeding into Bellmont High School, one public, and two private religious schools. 70% of the students attend the public grade school system, but only 2% of the players. Each coach favors athletes associated with their religious affiliation and additionally favor the other coaches affiliation athletes conspiring to control the athletes participating in both sports.
- The Board of Education has chosen not to address the situation. 83% of the Board are affiliated with the two religious institutions, again, comprising 30% of the student population.
- This is NOT one individual student affected by the discrimination, but 70% of the student population.
- The systematic discrimination has existed for many years, and recently become more intense.
- While the known discrimination involves athletics, that is the only information available to the public. Therefore information on the academic and other parts of the school system is not information available to the public.
- Due to the priorities of teenagers developing self-esteem for a lifetime, peer pressure, and other issues with young adults, several disappointed athletes have seriously harmed themselves, their self-esteem affected for the balance of their lives.
- Due to the diversity of affiliations by the public grade school community, they do not have proportional representation on the Board of Education who has ignored and tolerated the situation.
- It is unknown how extensive the situation is in all parts of Bellmont, but to be fair some coaches and teachers do not appear to reflect this discrimination.
- To summarize:
| Grade School Attended | Student Population % | Varsity Basketball | Basketball Difference | Varsity Baseball | Baseball Difference | School Board % |
| Public | 69% | 8% | -88% | 24% | -65% | 17% |
| Private | 30% | 92% | 306% | 76% | 253% | 83% |
Your attention to this matter is appreciated.
Sincerely,