Title IX: Preventing Discrimination In Education

Great inequalities in the educational system between the sexes have occurred for many years and still occur today. Efforts have been made to rectify this disparity, but the one that has made the most difference is Title IX. Passed in 1972, Title IX attempted to correct the gender discrimination in educational systems receiving public funding. The greatest correction it made was in the area of athletics, but social justice of Title IX applies to many other areas as well. Title IX has an effect on women who are not athletes in many ways, including quality of education, receptivity to education, empowerment and creation of ideals.

The Affirmative Action Policies of 1965 were extended to cover discrimination based on sex; this allowed women to have the same employment and educational opportunities as men. Congress passed title IX of the education amendments, which stated that schools receiving federal funds were required to provide equal access to educational programs regardless of their gender (“Women’s rights timeline”, n.d.). These laws were significant because it allowed women to attain their education without oppression, which allowed women to be able to work in skilled

“Title IX is important most of all because every person should have an opportunity to succeed regardless of their gender,” Peterson said. “I think that there are problems with regard to the amount of students who experience sexual assault and sexual misconduct on college campuses and I think the data speaks for itself as a whole when you look across the United States… It is very important to educate everyone in the campus community about their rights in regards to Title IX but it also important that everyone knows so bystanders can protect people as

Title IX is most often heard of when talking about sports but it actually covers a multitude of areas in daily life. Without gender equality in the world,, one sex would rule the world and the other would be left with nothing. Title IX has introduced gender equality in many areas of our daily lives and without it America would not be the country it is today. Title IX has changed the way that the American society views gender equality in exploitation (such as sexual harassment), athletics, education, and careers.

The idea of equity in society particularly in athletics has been a major topic in athletics for many years. However, in spite of the long and storied history of the fight for equity in athletics we still see a lot of misunderstanding especially involving one particular law. This law is Title IX which has a number of awful misconceptions associated with it even from female athletes themselves. One misconception that is very popular especially among the critics of Title IX is the idea that “Title IX exists to force to schools to drop men’s sport’s”(Kane, pg. 3). This is something that was reinforced by an report authored by Dr. Mary Jo Kane who is a Professor at the University of Minnesota regarding the 40th anniversary of Title IX. Dr. Kane indicated that she opens her sport sociology class discussions on Title IX by asking her class what they know about this subject. Dr. Kane indicated in her report that Title IX “remains a mystery to the vast majority of her students, both male and female” (Kane, pg. 3). Dr. Kane goes on to point out the misconception mentioned above is commonly said by her students including her female D1 scholarship athletes who are the ones that have benefitted most from this law. Overall Title IX is a great law even if it is a law that takes a lot of bad press although this is largely due to the actions or in some cases lack thereof from the leaders who reside in college athletics.

Title IX of the Educational Amendments to the 1964 Civil Rights Act was signed into law in 1972. It bans any educational institution that receives federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sex, and applies to all academic and extra-curricular programs. Title IX has been praised as the chief factor behind the advances made in gender equity in education over the past three decades. In addition, the significant advances of women in higher education and in the workplace since the 1970s have been attributed by some to Title IX. Despite all this, Title IX is most well known for the impact it has had on intercollegiate athletics. The scale of women's collegiate athletic programs has increased exponentially during the past four decades,

“ No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance (Patricia, 1977, p. 15).”

Epstein, Richard. "Women don't need Title IX anymore, and men are hurt by it" Fulton County Daily Report. LexisNexis (November 4, 2002)

There is a connection between the Title IX law and improvements in key areas such as access to higher education, career education, employment, learning environment, math and science, sexual harassment, standardized testing, and treatment of pregnant and parenting teens. (Women’s Equity Resource Center, 2003) How in the world does that relate to me you ask? Well, before this law many schools and universities had separate entrances for male and female students. Honestly, did it really matter what door you came in? Apparently, it did. I can see them having a problem with males and females being in the same dormitories, for obvious reasons, but not letting a man and woman walk in the same door to get to a classroom? That’s a little ridiculous if you ask me. I know I could have never lived happily in the past generations, because I have had the freedom of being my own self and having the freedoms of every other race, gender, and social status for the most part. The effect Title IX has played in my life comes in some major issues, as well as simple things such as being allowed to walk through the same door as the man in front of me.

Pre-Title IX, female students would have to take classes such as home economics while their male peers had the freedom to take math, science, and business classes. Title IX also increased the amount of female teachers which benefitted a working class of women and the students because they could look up to their female teachers as role models. Lastly, before Title IX, female student could be expelled for being pregnant, but after Title IX passed, schools could not only not expel pregnant students, but they also had to provide special classes and schedules if the student wanted

Before Title IX, only 9% of all doctoral degrees awarded were to women, now almost 50% are awarded to women. “When I grow up I want to be a…” if a young girl finished this statement with a doctor or a lawyer or any other

Betsy DeVos has brought back to our attention Title IX enforcement, wanting to take away the protection and equality that it currently gives to college students under the Obama administration’s interpretation of the law. Since 1972, Title IX has implemented equality for all students in federally funded schools which includes education and athletics. This majorly increased opportunities for women athletes such as before the law was passed, there were only “32,000 women participating in intercollegiate athletics” (Paule-Koba,115) and by “2004, that number had increased to a record 202,540 women” (Paule-Koba, 115). Since 2011, the Obama administration put forward an additional interpretation adding that the word equality in Title IX had to

A little over 45 years ago a piece of legislation was brought forth of the Education Amendments to congress. This piece of legislation is the very piece that has shaped today’s society into some of the equality progression we have now. When people bring up this piece in conversation today, people are either super passionate or very confused. Title IX, brought up in 1972 is still a very confusing and misinterpreted piece, most people just know it gives women rights in sports. However, this piece does so much more and has such an extensive timeline along with it.

Since Title IX, women have had incredible career opportunities and have been diversifying the workplace since receiving the education that was not offered before ("Career”). Women are constantly breaking boundaries set in the past as now many women make up the fields of career and study that were thought to only be for men (Musil). In a 2006 study researchers found that women made up thirty three percent of lawyers and also made up twenty seven percent of doctors ranging from pediatrics, general family medicine, or internal medicine practice (Musil). Title IX specifically states that schools are not allowed to shut down courses or refuse courses to women legally if they receive federal funding from the government.

Title Nine is a law that was passed by the federal government that that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. Even though Title Nine was signed into law in 1972 we sadly still have sex discrimination today. All laws have loopholes especially this one. As a high school athlete, our girls’ soccer team never had the money the football team had. Along with that, there were some days where we were forced to practice inside the school because we couldn't mess up the football field for the boys’ football team. Even when we were kicked off our soccer field and had to go practice in the gym we were forced out of the gym because of the boys’ basketball team. Eventually, we had to practice