HAPPY BIRTHDAY TITLE IX
by Ted Lakowski

The Women�s Sports Foundation joined a bi-partisan group of Congressional representatives, champion athletes, and members of the National Coalition of Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE) for a press conference on Wednesday, June 22 on Capitol Hill to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Title IX and discuss concerns with recent efforts to weaken this important gender equity law.

Dominique Dawes, current Foundation President, and Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, former Foundation President and Olympic gold medalist hurdler, along with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Hilary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Representatives Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) and Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), called on President Bush to work with them and the NCWGE coalition to strengthen Title IX and reject the recent policy changes that would undermine the 33 years of progress Title IX has made for women and girls in sports.

Since its passage in 1972, Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance, has opened the doors of opportunity to women and girls. It has increased female high school athletic participation by 875% and female college participation by 437%.

While Title IX has made monumental gains for women and girls in sport, equality between females and males in athletics has yet to be achieved. At the high school level female athletes receive 1.7 million or 41% fewer participation opportunities than males. In collegiate athletics, females receive only 37% of the athletic budget and 54,557 or 34% fewer participation opportunities than males.

Instead of strengthening Title IX to make its mandate for equality a reality, the Department of Education issued a �clarification� letter on March 17, 2005, that opened a compliance loophole that allows institutions to shed its obligations to comply with the law. For more information regarding the Clarification, you can scroll down to the "More" link to read the Foundation�s Position Paper: Foundation Calls for Withdrawal of New Title IX Policy.

In a statement issued for the press conference, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) conveyed her disappointment and described the detrimental impact of this change on female athletes. �I am deeply disappointed with the Education Department�s flawed clarification. This decision is inconsistent with long-standing Department policies and with fundamental principles of equality under Title IX. Issued without any public notice or input, it has created a huge compliance loophole for athletic programs. Now, girls who want to play would have to prove they are interested, placing the onus on them instead of their institutions. Courts have interpreted Title IX to require schools to make the same effort to recruit female athletes as male athletes. This survey loophole would remove that obligation.�

In a strong show of solidarity for Title IX, parents, young female athletes, including a youth soccer team, and Representatives Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), also gathered at the press conference to convey their support for strengthening Title IX. Additionally, 143 Democrats sent a letter to the President asking for the withdrawal of the OCR Clarification.

In addition to participating in the NCWGE�s efforts to Save Title IX, the Foundation has also launched its own letter-writing and media campaign to generate support against the new threat to Title IX. Supporters can write letters to their legislative representatives as well as the President and Secretary of Education.

Join the Foundation in celebrating Title IX�s birthday the way it deserves�with a vigorous call to rescind the OCR clarification and restore Title IX�s birthright.