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Court Of The United States

Decent Essays

Case: Grove City College, et al. v. Terrel Bell, Secretary of Education Official: 465 U.S. 555 (1984) Unofficial: 104 S. Ct. 1211; 79 L. Ed. 2d 516; 1984 U.S. LEXIS 158; 52 U.S.L.W. 4283; 33 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) P34,158 Court: Supreme Court of the United States Decided on February, 28th 1984 Facts: Grove City College, a private, coeducational liberal arts school, wanted to preserve its institutional autonomy by regularly refusing state and federal financial assistance. However, the college did enroll a large number of students who received Basic Educational Opportunity Grants (BEOG’s). These grants came through a Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) program. The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare determined …show more content…

Issue(s): Was Grove City College subject to federal requirements because its students received federal grants? Did the provisions of Title IX violate the First Amendments rights of the College? Holding: The court held that Title IX, which only applies to educational institutions receiving federal funds, could be applied to a private institution that refused direct federal funding but for which a large number of students had received federal funded scholarships. The court stated that there was no “substantive difference” between institutional assistance and aid received by a school through its students. Title IX coverage, the Court found, was triggered by the BEOG’s. Reasoning: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the Third Circuit but limited the extension of Title IX to the financial aid department of the college rather than across-campus. Yet the Court was of the opinion that receiving federal financial assistance required formal acceptance of Title IX. Further, the Court pointed out that this requirement did not violate the First Amendment rights of the College or its students, because the receipt of these funds was voluntary and officials could have ended their involvement in the program at any time. Decision: After the Supreme Court rendered its ruling in Grove City, school officials took the exit option that the Court had identified (Edwards, 2000). Officials at the College opted to forgo federal funds by not signing the Title IX compliance form

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