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 […]
Department of Justice awards $4.14 million settlement to UMBC student-athletes
*Trigger Warning* This article contains sensitive information and subjects of sexual abuse, harassment, and assault that may be triggering for some readers. Student-athletes are finally being heard after undergoing years of sexual harassment and sexual discrimination from the late Head Swimming and Diving Team Coach, Chad Cradock. On Wednesday, April 3rd, the Department of Justice […]
Caitlin Clark Smashes NCAA Records, Embodies Title IX Feminist Aspirations
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 […]
Gender Equity in Education Act Reintroduced in House and Senate to Advance Title IX’s Implementation
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 […]
LSU Staff & Administration Mishandle Sexual Assault
CW: sexual assault, rape A USA Today investigation that was released yesterday indicates that Louisiana State University has mishandled numerous sexual assault complaints against students, many of which are athletes. A large number of these sexual misconduct complaints have been about the football team’s running back, Derrius Guice. A member of the diving team told […]
Lawmakers Denounce Title IX Decision on Transgender Athletes
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 […]
U.S. Court Ruling Defines “Fairness” in Title IX Cases
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 […]
Inclusion of Transgender Student Athletes Found to Violate Title IX
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 […]
Nebraska Public College Pays $900,000 in Title IX Settlement
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, […]
ACLU and Other Groups File Lawsuit to Block New Title IX Rules
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 […]
Democrats and Civil Rights Groups Demand Delay of New Title IX Rule
The Education Department’s new proposed Title IX rules have already been cleared by the White House and are scheduled to be implemented in the coming weeks. Three senators signed on to a letter—along with multiple civil rights’ and human rights’ organizations—calling for the delay of these rules until the COVID-19 crisis is under control. The […]
Trump Administration Proposes Rules Undermining Separation of Church and State Which Would Increase Sex Discrimination in Schools
February 18, 2020 marked the end of the 30-day public comment period on nine proposed federal rules loosening federal funding restrictions on religious social service providers and schools. The Department of Education’s (ED) proposed rule to implement religion-related executive orders received nearly 16,000 comments and would have broad negative impacts if enacted. The ED’s proposed […]
Senate and House Introduction of the Gender Equity Education Act of 2019
In celebration of the 47th anniversary of Title IX, Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Doris Matsui have introduced the Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act of 2019, S. 1964 and H.R. 3513. This 2019 version of the initial 2016 Gender Equity Education Act, (GEEA) honors former Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink (D-HI) […]
Patsy Mink: “Ahead of the Majority” and First Woman of Color in Congress
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’ll be highlighting the stories of women in the United States who paved the way and inspired girls everywhere to follow their dreams. As a Japanese-American from Hawaii, Patsy Mink became the first woman of color in Congress and the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress in […]
Trump Defies Science to Attack Transgender Americans
The Center for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that nearly 2% of all high schoolers identify as transgender; this report also confirms that transgender students need to be protected in and out of school. In school, transgender students are more likely to be victims of bullying, whether in person or online. They […]
Michigan State University Interim President John Engler Resigns
John Engler, the interim president at Michigan State University, resigned Wednesday after receiving backlash against his comments on the survivors of the former physician for two women’s varsity teams at Michigan State University and previous doctor for the American gymnastics team, Larry Nassar, stating the survivors were “enjoying the spotlight.” In an 11-page letter to […]
Gender Wage Gap Larger Than Previously Thought
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research released a new study that claims that women today earn only 49 cents to a man’s dollar, not the 80 cents previously stated. While the earnings gap between men and women has narrowed, progress in the past 15 years has decreased. However the study does not break the findings […]
Democratic Women’s Working Group and Representatives Condemn New Title IX Rules
Yesterday, the Democratic Women’s Working Group (DWWG), along with Representatives Jackie Speier, Lois Frankel, Brenda Lawrence, and Annie Kuster and 77 House members, sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging her to retract her recently proposed rules for Title IX. In the letter, the representatives denounce the proposed rules, calling the rules a […]
Teen Suspended After Reporting Sexual Assault in Georgia
A lawsuit against Gwinnet County Public School Officials was filed in federal court in Atlanta on behalf of a teen who was suspended after reporting a sexual assault in 2015. The teen, who the lawsuit identifies as “Jane Doe,” accuses school officials of violating her rights under Title IX. According to Jane Doe’s lawyers, a […]
New DeVos Rules on Title IX Will Hurt Survivors
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has proposed harmful new regulations that would make it easier for schools to ignore student survivors of sexual violence and sweep allegations of sexual harassment and assault under the rug. Already, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men will be sexually assaulted in college, and around 1 in 4 […]