The daughter-in-law of Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, who has served as a volunteer high school track and field coach in Oregon, was fired on Monday after an investigation proved that she escorted a 17-year-old member of her boys track squad to the school's prom. As reported by the Associated Press, 41-year-old Melissa Bowerman, the daughter-in-law of waffle-sole inventor Bill Bowerman, escorted an unnamed 17-year-old on the Condon (Ore.) High track team to the school's prom after the runner told her he lacked a date for the prom. Bowerman, who is married to 73-year-old co-coach Jon Bowerman and also has a son on the same team, told the AP that she offered to take the student to prom in part to motivate him to improve his grades in his English class. "If they go on [academic] probation and suspension, then they can't go to the track meets," Melissa Bowerman told the AP. "I said, 'OK, I will go with you, but we've got to talk about English first. You're going to do better in English.'" Bowerman insisted that she and her date only danced to "a couple" of slow songs and spent the rest of the evening playing ping pong and foosball. The student's father also said he was OK with the coach escorting his son because, "Melissa has been like a surrogate mom to these kids for years." The handling of Bowerman's dismissal wasn't done in the most tactful manner, either. With the Condon team preparing to load a bus for the state track and field meet, the Bowermans were told that Melissa could not ride on the team bus with the athletes, her husband and other parents. In the meantime, Jon Bowerman has said he will consider resigning from the program if his wife is not allowed to return, a stunning turn of events just weeks after the school officially inaugurated a brand new, state of the art track that was made possible by a trade of the family heirloom Bowerman waffle iron that Jon's father, former Oregon track coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, used to make running shoe soles for Nike that provided better traction. "The only thing we've done wrong is build them a new track and get uniforms and build them a powerhouse program," Jon Bowerman told the AP. "If she doesn't come back, I'm not coming back."

Track coach, daughter-in-law of Nike co-founder, fired for taking senior to prom

I know she's a pothead and pretty stupid when it comes to parapsychology; but other than that I'm a bit bewildered about the constant running in-jokes making fun of Dionne Warwick. Why is she so particularly mocked on Datalounge?

90s funniest underrated movie....

I'm given to believe that many gay Republicans post here -- many of the anti-Obama threads certainly give that impression. I have a question for you and I hope you'll take the time to answer it. I'll refrain from name-calling and insulting you -- I'm really interested in a serious answer. The Republican Party has declared war on The Gay. A look at the evidence: Nationally -- all the major Republican candidates for President have signed a pledge supporting an amendment to the US Constitution that would specifically discriminate against gay people. They have also pledged to investigate pro-gay groups and appoint judges who would not find a right for same-sex marriage. A gay man found it impossible to work for the Romney campaign. Do any gay people work for the Romney campaign at all? It's impossible to say because if they do, they're afraid to self-identify as gay. In Romney's first major speech after successfully wrapping up the nomination, he goes to Liberty University and speaks out against gay equality. And keep in mind, a decade ago, Romney said he was more pro-gay than Ted Kennedy. Kansas, Texas, and Wyoming -- Republicans in all three states prevented the repeal of anti-gay sodomy laws. Colorado -- Republicans, using political chicanery, prevented the state from enacting a Civil Union law. California and New Jersey -- both states would now have marriage equality except for vetoes by supposedly 'moderate' Republican governors. Virginia -- Republicans refused to consider the appointment of an out gay man as judge just because he's in a 'marriage-like' relationship with a man. North Carolina -- the only southern state to avoid an anti-gay amendment falls, but only after the Republicans take over both state houses and pass Amendment One. Nebraska -- The city of Lincoln passes its first gay discrimination law. All the Republicans on the council refuse to vote for it, however. This leads to my question: When the Log Cabin Republicans began -- I believe in the 70's to help fight the Briggs initiative in CA -- it was argued, well I think, that they could influence the party from within to be more accepting of diversity. But hasn't the experiment failed? The party seems to be less accepting of gay equality than ever. Gays can't even work openly for Republican campaigns anymore. That seems to be more extreme than ever. And compare the Republican Party to the Conservative party in Great Britain. Gays there have largely succeeded in fostering a sense of inclusion and fairness in their party. But here the results are disastrous. I guess my question is, when do you concede defeat? Do you keep fighting even though it seems to be getting worse? And related: why is it so different in the UK?

….her job in danger, gurl! They just fired her onscreen husband and boyfriend. on SMASH.

Let me tell you about Deb Messing…..

My god she was so beautiful, and now she's more mask-like than ever. Why? Whyyyy?

Nicole Kidman, painful to look at

Gay rights laws in America have evolved to allow — but in some cases ban — rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people on a range of issues, including marriage, hospital visitation, adoption, housing, employment and school bullying. The handling of gay rights issues vary by state and follow trends by region

Gay rights in the US, state by state