June 23, 2025 marks the 53rd anniversary of Title IX, the groundbreaking civil rights law that reshaped American education by prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any federally funded school or program. Enacted in 1972, Title IX opened doors to classrooms, athletics, and leadership opportunities for millions of women and girls, transforming what equality in education could […]
Photo by Element5 Digital In 1972, American education underwent a monumental shift with the passage of Title IX. This landmark civil rights law prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding. Emerging from the women’s rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Title IX was crafted to ensure equal opportunities for […]
On Thursday, Caitlin Clark, an Iowa University senior, made waves when she became the all time NCAA lead scorer. Her win not only surpassed the current women’s basketball score record, but the total overall record for both men and women’s collegiate basketball. Iowa University’s game against Ohio State became the most watched women’s basketball game […]
Title IX, an appendage of the 1972 Education Amendments, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The law, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs and institutions, has been pivotal for gender equity progress. The National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE) published a report this month detailing the successes and […]
Last Wednesday, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA), reintroduced the Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act (GEEA) in Congress. The House and Senate versions of the bill, H.R.4097 and S.2186, would support the implementation of Title IX by providing resources, funding, and training to reduce […]
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education released a notice saying that Title IX’s protections against sex discrimination also forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This interpretation of the 1972 Title IX law, which prohibits sex discrimination in “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,” will protect gay […]
28 lawmakers, including six of the seven members of Connecticut’s delegation, signed a joint letter condemning the U.S. Department of Education’s May 15 decision regarding transgender athletes. The lawmakers request that the Department of Education (DOE) reconsider its decision, as well as other rulings that “roll back” the rights of transgender students. They have tasked […]
Back to contents. If you think your educational institution is not treating girls and women equally to boys and men, here is who to contact: 1. Your school or college may have someone on staff to handle Title IXgender equity complaints. Contact this Title IX Coordinator to registercomplaint. 2. Your school or college may have […]
Back to contents. In 1972 Congress passed the Educational Amendments. One section of this law, Title IX, prohibits discrimination against girls and women in federally-funded education, including in athletics programs. As a result of Title IX, women and girls have benefited from more participation opportunities and more equitable facilities. Women who were under 10 when […]
Because the federal government has not strongly enforced Title IX, feminists all over the country have filed civil rights complaints and lawsuits against their colleges and high schools in order to force their institutions to implement gender equity. These lawsuits and complaints have been quite successful. Since 1990, hundreds of lawsuits and Civil Rights complaints […]
In 1972 Congress passed Title IX as part of the Higher Education Amendments. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance including athletics and sports. Women who were under 10 when Title IX passed have much higher sports participation rates than women who grew up before […]
Title IX of the Education Act opened athletics to women and girls. Before Title IX, women were 2% of the college students participating in sports. In 1101, women were 43% of the college students participating in sports. In raw numbers, we went from 32,000 to 150,000 athletes — a gain of over 400%. Before Title […]
Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972 and its 1975 regulations protect against sex discrimination in athletics as well as many other aspects of education. This important federal education policy has been a major influence in increasing athletic opportunities for girls and women in informal recreational sports as well as in competitive athletic programs. Information on […]
Although many people believe that Title IX applies only to gender discrimination in athletics, the Federal law in fact holds that “no person…shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits or, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” This includes sexual harassment, […]
Well-informed Title IX Coordinators are required to counteract sex discrimination in education programs in schools and other entities receiving federal financial assistance. (See Title IX Coordinators: Key to Fighting Sex Discrimination in Education PDF handout). Title IX regulations specify that each recipient of federal financial assistance “designate at least one employee to coordinate its efforts to comply with, and […]
2020 Changes to Title IX Sexual Harassment Regulations In May 2020 the Department of Education completed the process of creating new regulations detailing how educational institutions must comply with Title IX as it relates to sexual harassment. These new regulations replace the Title IX policies released by the Obama administration, and, unlike the Obama policies, […]
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Court decided on May 29 that “fairness” defined in several colleges’s investigations of sexual harassment means that students must be given a live hearing and cross-examination process. The decision, written by Judge David Porter, stated that if a college’s policy under Title IX of the Education […]
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has found that a Connecticut high school athletics policy that allows transgender students to participate in sports teams that match their gender identity violates federal law and could cost the state federal education funding. A 45-page letter, dated May 15, explained that the decision was based on the […]
The Nebraska State College System will pay $900,000 in a settlement for inadequately addressing a case of dating violence that resulted in a student’s suicide in 2015. The settlement comes after the family of Fatima Larios, who died at 19, filed a federal suit in 2017. In addition to the monetary amount, Chadron State College, […]
Survivor advocacy groups filed a suit yesterday to block Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s new Title IX rules that weaken protections for survivors. The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and another law firm, argue that the new rules make it harder for survivors to report sexual assault and harassment. The plaintiffs […]
