Title Ix

Title IX was enacted on June 23, 1972 and it states: "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." Title IX protects students, faculty and staff in federally funded education programs. Title IX applies to all elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities. It also applies to programs and activities affiliated with schools that receive federal funds, such as internships or School-to-Work programs, and to federally funded education programs run by other entities such as correctional facilities, health care entities, unions and businesses. Every school, by law, is required to designate a Title IX Coordinator. If organizations fail to follow the law, they may lose federal funding. No school has lost federal funding, however, some have had to pay substantial damages and attorney fees in cases brought to court. There have been many cases of Title IX not only benefiting but also damaging many organizations. I will discuss such stories as the Roderick Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education case, why James Madison University's had to eliminate 10 sports teams which had been mostly men's, and an Ex-Athletic Director's Title IX Suit Revived by the 3rd Circuit. Each case will demonstrate both sides of Title IX.
In the Roderick Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education case, Jackson, who had been the women’s basketball coach, complained that his girls' basketball team was not treated as well as the boys' team. He said the gym the girls used for practice had no heat, wooden backboards and bent hoops as well as other inequalities (Basketball). Jackson claimed that the boy’s program was better funded and had better access to the school’s sports facilities and equipment. Some examples Jackson cited was when the girls’ junior varsity team was disbanded, while the boys’ JV team... [continues]

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