From The Advocacy Desk: July 2008 Report
By Kayan Brown Published: Thursday, July 31, 2008
In addition to working to maintain a strong Title IX and a comprehensive public policy agenda that increases opportunities for girls and women to participate in sports and physical activity, the Women’s Sports Foundation responds to hundreds of calls and e-mails asking for help with specific gender equity, Title IX, the Amateur Sports Act, and coaching and employment situations at the local level. Read about some of the people we have helped.
Surveys...Simply Another Loophole
Published: Saturday, April 09, 2005
The assertion that women are less interested in sports than men is not only dangerously stereotypical and flawed, but it is an insult to all women. I speak today with two voices: one as a female athlete whose career was made possible by Title IX, and another as an attorney who has practiced in this area. Personally, Title IX made my college scholarship to Duke University and my Olympic gold medals in 1984 possible, and it has opened innumerable professional doors. As an attorney, I know that our Constitution prohibits these sorts of sex-based classifications based on unfounded gender-based stereotypes. ...
Arizona Soccer Coach Doesn't Bend
Published: Tuesday, December 07, 2004
I wrote the letter so that others could see that standing up for equality isn't easy, but the intrinsic rewards are worth far more then remaining silent. Athletic directors and even other coaches will try to make your job less enjoyable, but how can we stand by and allow societies (the true culprit) apathy to chip away at what historically, women have worked so hard to gain.
Defending Title IX in Court
Published: Thursday, September 02, 2004
On June 14, 2004, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal of the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court's decision in Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education.The Jackson case effectively raises the issue of whether indirect victims of Title IX claims (i.e. coaches, parents, administrators) can sue schools receiving federal funds for retaliation after bringing gender equity claims. In this case a male, high school girls' basketball coach, Roderick Jackson, was fired after bringing gender equity concerns to his supervisors. The Eleventh Circuit dismissed the case holding that the coach had no right to sue. The National Women's Law Center and ...
Understanding the Amateur Sports Act
Published: Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Amateur Sports Act and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC)The Amateur Sports Act of 1978 set up the governance structure for amateur sports in this country. The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) is charged with governing amateur sports. The USOC, in turn, authorizes one national governing body (NGB) to govern each specific sport. (For example, U.S. Swimming governs swimming.) That includes making the rules, choosing teams for international competitions, certifying officials, running national championships, etc. They are also charged with developing the sport from the grassroots level through Olympic level. Thus, besides providing coverage to elite-level amateur athletes, the law applies ...
Judge Dismisses Wrestlers' Case!
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2003
STATEMENT TO THE PRESS: Title IX DecisionJune 11, 2003Women's Sports FoundationOn June 11, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan dismissed the lawsuit, National Wrestling Coaches Association v. United States Department of Education. The Wrestling Coaches Association maintained that Title IX was the cause of cuts to men's teams and that the three-part test for participation compliance created a quota system.The court's decision made it clear that Title IX cannot be blamed for cuts to men's teams because educational institutions make decisions based on multiple unrelated factors. The court also recognized the importance of Title IX, characterizing it as a "landmark" ...
Minority Views on the Report of the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics
Published: Wednesday, February 26, 2003
We are releasing a Minority Report to fully set forth our views on the issues posed by the Secretary of Education to the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics. We are compelled to issue this Report because we were not allowed to include within the Commission's own report a full discussion of the issues and our position on the recommendations that have been adopted. Our concerns are the following:
The findings and recommendations of the Commission's report fail to address key issues or to reflect an understanding of the discrimination women and girls still face in obtaining equal opportunity in athletics.
Many of ...
Briefing Paper Five: Frequently asked questions about NCAA statistics
Published: Thursday, December 19, 2002
This is one of five briefing papers addressing the importance of maintaining the current state of Title IX, the bias and flaws in the Title IX Commission's public hearing process, the radical changes to Title IX athletic policies which are being proposed and the economic analysis of current collegiate spending.
Briefing Paper Two: Title IX Commission— Inequities in the Process
Published: Thursday, December 19, 2002
This is one of five briefing papers addressing the importance of maintaining the current state of Title IX, the bias and flaws in the Title IX Commission's public hearing process, the radical changes to Title IX athletic policies which are being proposed and the economic analysis of current collegiate spending.
Briefing Paper Four: Fiscal Responsibility, Not Weakening Civil Rights Law, is Key to Title IX Compliance and Deterring Institutions from Discontinuing Some Men's Sports Teams
Published: Thursday, December 19, 2002
This is one of five briefing papers addressing the importance of maintaining the current state of Title IX, the bias and flaws in the Title IX Commission's public hearing process, the radical changes to Title IX athletic policies which are being proposed and the economic analysis of current collegiate spending.
Briefing Paper Three: Proposals Being Considered by the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics Would Further Disadvantage Female Athletes and Dismantle Title IX Protections
Published: Thursday, December 19, 2002
This is one of five briefing papers addressing the importance of maintaining the current state of Title IX, the bias and flaws in the Title IX Commission's public hearing process, the radical changes to Title IX athletic policies which are being proposed and the economic analysis of current collegiate spending.
Women's Sports Foundation Title IX Advisory
Published: Monday, July 29, 2002
Situation Update
Commission to Recommend a Weakened Title IX
Published: Tuesday, January 08, 2002
The Women's Sports Foundation strongly protests the Title IX Commission's draft proposals to alter Title IX and urges the public to write to the Commission to register their objections.
Gender Equity, Creative Solutions--A Case Study in Compliance
Published: Friday, July 28, 2000
What Educational Institutions Can Do In Order to Comply With The Regulations of Title IX
Athletics and Physical Activity: Women's Health Issues Educational Fact Sheet
Published: Monday, February 07, 2000
1. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT TITLE IX AND OPPOSE ANY EFFORT TO AMEND THE LAW?A. Because sports participation is an important health and wellness issue for girls and women. 80% of all people with osteoporosis (brittle bones) are female and one out of every two women over the age of 60 has osteoporosis. Adequate calcium intake and weight-bearing exercise, especially in a female's high school and college years, is crucial in the prevention of osteoporosis, a $15 billion/year health problem. (Teegarden, Proulx, et al., 1996, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 1996; vol. 28, pp. 105-113)Girls who ...
Gender Equity Compliance Quotient
Published: Tuesday, July 28, 1998
"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 of the Educational Amendments of 1972July 1, 1972, P.L. 92-31820 USC §1681(a)Executive SummaryIn recent years, eight major studies have been completed concerning gender equity in college athletics. Each of these studies came to basically the same conclusion that although improvements have been made in recent years, colleges and universities are still a long way from complying with the regulations of Title ...
Considerations in Establishing New Intercollegiate Sports Programs for Women
Published: Friday, August 01, 1997
Title IX athletic participation requirements have been an impetus for many collegiate institutions to consider the expansion of their women's sports programs. Following is a list of criteria and issues which should be considered.
If Your Institution Does Not Currently Have a Women's Varsity Athletic Program
1. At what level do you want your athletic program to compete? There are approximately three levels of competition to consider. Division I competition requires a significant financial commitment to afford the acquisition of the best coaches and athletes (salaries, recruiting budgets, athletic scholarship assistance and significant travel funds to enable the team to compete on ...
Title IX Legislative Chronology
In 2002 we celebrate thirty years of Title IX. Many people are unaware of the legislative activity brought about by this law. Here we outline the history of Title IX from its inception in 1972 to the present.
Victory! Maryland Blazes the Trail for Students with Disabilities
Setting a standard for the rest of the country, Maryland has broken down barriers for students with disabilities, giving every child the chance to get active and enjoy sports.
Unbelievables!
Women Denied Access to Equitable Facilities
A father contacted the Foundation for advice in how to improve the facilities and conditions of his daughter’s high school softball team. The women currently play on a field that has “ankle-threatening holes in the outfield, weeds in the infield, no restrooms and is poorly watered and cared for” compared to the baseball field with “restrooms, snack stand, lights, field covers, advertisers on the outfield fence, announcing booth and a working scoreboard.” The father says that the differences between the softball and baseball field are representative of the disparities in facilities between the women’s and ...
Regional Offices for Civil Rights (OCR)
U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights National HeadquartersMary E. Switzer Building400 Maryland Ave. SWWashington, DC 20202Phone: (800) 421-3481TDD: (877) 521-2172Fax: (202) 245-6840E-mail: OCR@ed.gov
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, VermontOffice for Civil Rights, Boston OfficeU.S. Department of Education33 Arch Street, Suite 900Boston, MA 02110-1491Phone: (617) 289-0111Fax: (617) 289-0150E-mail: OCR.Boston@ed.gov
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin IslandsOffice for Civil Rights, New York OfficeU.S. Department of Education32 Old Slip, 26th FloorNew York, NY 10005-2500Phone: (646) 428-3900Fax: (646) 428-3843E-mail: OCR.NewYork@ed.gov
Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West VirginiaOffice for Civil Rights, Philadelphia OfficeU.S. Department of EducationWanamaker Building100 Penn Square East, Suite 515Philadelphia, PA 19107-3323 Phone: ...
Title IX does Protect Whistleblowers
By Aleska Washington
In a recent decision, the Supreme Court ruled that retaliation is intentional discrimination on the basis of sex and, therefore, violates Title IX. The Supreme Court supports the right of a coach to report Title IX violations and, if retaliated against, to sue his or her institution under Title IX. It was a 5-4 decision with dissenters saying Coach Roderick Jackson shouldn't be able to sue unless he suffered discrimination himself under Title IX (meaning he wasn't an athlete protected by Title IX). The Supreme Court found that the victim of retaliation need not be a victim of the sex ...
Title IX - Possible Changes to Title IX Athletic Program Regulations: The Foundation Position
Q: Does the Foundation believe the Bush Administration will attempt to weaken Title IX as it applies to high school and college athletic programs? ANSWER: The Foundation is hopeful that the Bush administration will continue to support and enforce strong Title IX athletics regulations. Title IX protection for girls' and women's sports is needed now more than ever. While over fifty percent of our college populations are female they only comprise 42 percent of the athlete student body. In addition, female athletes receive approximately 36 percent of all sports operating expenditures, 42 percent of all college athletic scholarship money, and 32 ...
Issues Related to Girls and Boys Competing With and Against Each Other in Sports and Physical Activity Settings: A Women’s Sports Foundation Position
Learn what the Women's Sports Foundation has to say about this controversial issue.
Athlete Organizations - Player Associations and Unions: The Foundation Position
The Women's Sports Foundation is often asked about its position with regard to the need for players' associations or collective bargaining unions in professional women's sports. The Foundation neither advocates nor discourages the development of such organizations but does recognize the functionality of such groups. Players' associations or trade associations can serve valuable education and information-sharing functions. Being a professional athlete is a career. It's important for every businesswoman to be “a student of her game” – the business of professional sports. This education can be accomplished by reading trade journals and similar materials in print. However, attending an annual ...
Competition Seasons - Girls' Sports in "Non-traditional" Seasons: The Foundation Position
Did you know that some athletic associations are regulating when girls have their sports seasons? The disadvantages that come with this practice are not just wrong, they're against the law.
Dropping Men's Sports - The Division I Football/Basketball Arms Race is The Culprit in the Cutting of Men's Olympic Sports: The Foundation Position
Division II and III schools, the poorest colleges and universities, are not dropping men's sports. It's the richest Division I athletic programs that are cutting men's swimming, gymnastics and wrestling programs (Olympic sports). Whenever a men's sport is eliminated, these educational institutions blame Title IX and women's sports. They say they can't afford to add new women's sports programs as required by federal gender equity laws and keep men's Olympic sports. What's wrong with this contention is the fact that there are plenty of new dollars going into Division I college athletic programs that could fund both women's sports and ...
Coaches and Administrators Refuse to Allow Male Athletes to Compete Against Females
The Advocacy Department is currently working on several cases involving situations where coaches and administrators have refused to allow their male athletes to compete against females. One situation involves middle school wrestling. While the league is coed, several schools in the league refuse to allow their boys to compete against the female wrestlers. A Superintendent of one of the schools said the school “does not want to put our young men in a situation where they would be inappropriately touching a young lady.” A father of one of the daughters discriminated against has filed a lawsuit and a complaint with ...
From the Advocacy Desk- Attention All Students
Looking for a school that has your rights in mind? Advocacy intern Jessica Post offers this advice...
Foundation Opposes Judge John Roberts' Nomination as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
The Women's Sports Foundation issued the following statement in response to questions regarding its position on the appointment of Judge John Roberts as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Title IX implications if he were to be confirmed:
Donna Lopiano Testifies Before the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics
Oral Statement Before the Commission on Opportunity in AthleticsNovember 20, 2002 – San Diego, CaliforniaDonna A. Lopiano, Ph.D.Executive Director Women's Sports FoundationI do not envy your task. It will be easy to get lost in the stacks of information, conflicting statistics and emotions of the passionate people on both sides of the issue. However, I am here to suggest that your task may not be as difficult as it seems.The heart of the situation is this… In education or athletics, we live In an environment of finite resources. Forgive the oversimplification, but, prior to Title IX, there was only $100 ...