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Public commenter tells Cannon County board Title IX should not bar booster-club pay
Summary
At a July meeting, a touchdown-club representative argued booster-club–funded salary supplements for coaches should not trigger Title IX enforcement because the funds are privately raised, while board members said they need clear payroll and policy guidance before deciding.
A public commenter representing the touchdown club told the Cannon County Board of Education on July 9 that examples in the board packet came from other states and do not apply locally, and argued Title IX should not prevent the district from allowing booster-club–funded supplements for coaches.
The commenter said the packet’s cited OCR/Title IX cases involved recipients of federal financial assistance and emphasized that the booster club’s payments would be fundraised money, not federal assistance to the district. "Title IX has no bearing on a particular item that we're talking about," the commenter said, adding they had consulted several attorneys who advised the board could support the supplements.
The speaker also said they attempted to reach Mike Jennings for clarification; they reported being told by a staff member that Jennings would only discuss the matter with the director of schools or her staff, and asked board members whether others had different information.
Board members and other participants discussed payroll mechanics and limits on who the district can pay. One board member said categories such as cafeteria and janitorial pay would not be stopped, but coaching stipends raised compliance and payroll questions. The chair and others repeatedly said they wanted a transparent, formal process rather than informal arrangements "under the table," and noted TSBA (Tennessee School Boards Association) is available to review policy language and provide guidance.
The transcript does not record a roll-call vote or a formal decision on whether the district will permit the booster-club salary supplements. The matter was listed as a tabled item from the June meeting and was discussed at length during the July session; board members said they would seek counsel and policy guidance before taking formal action.
