Title IX Supporters Say New Policy Guidance Weakens Law
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 6/28/2005
On the 33rd anniversary of Title IX, supporters of the landmark law are pointing to new policy guidance from the Department of Education that "creates a giant loophole through which schools can evade their obligation to provide equal opportunity in sports,: according to National Women's Law Center Co-President Marsha D. Greenberger.Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education and requires schools to provide equal athletic opportunities.
Longstanding Title IX policies and law require schools to gauge level of interest in sports opportunities by potential female athletes. Under the new guidance, issued March 17, 2005, schools would be able to claim compliance with Title IX based on the results of an online survey of female students' interest in and ability to play sports. Schools would be allowed to interpret a lack of response as a lack of interest.
Opponents of the new guidance claim it is a clear invitation to schools to evade their Title IX responsibilities.
The "Save Title IX" campaign, which is led by the National Coalition for Women and Girls Education, is a national education campaign to teach the importance of keeping Title IX policies unchanged and the need for strong enforcement of the law.
According the campaign, the new guidance deals an especially harsh blow because the nation is still far from providing true equality of opportunity. Title IX supporters note that even though women make up half or more of students in college, women still receive only about 41 percent of the sports participation opportunities; women's sports average just 36 percent of athletic operating budgets; and women's sports receive only 32 percent of total recruiting expenditures.
