On June 23, 1972, the U.S. Department of Education enforced a series of amendments and statutes for any educational programs that receive federal assistance. One of these amendments is known as “Title IX.” At its core, Title IX states the following:
“No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education or activity.”
Title IX in College Sports
Established in 1906, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) would have to rethink its system given the advent of Title IX. In the early 1970s, more than 85% of all NCAA athletes were male. However, with the rollout of Title IX, this would begin to change. Universities would no longer be able to put all their attention towards men’s athletics. For example, colleges would have to offer women the same type of athletic resources – locker rooms, medical treatment, training, coaching, travel expenses, practice facilities, and recruitment. While this didn’t result in an immediate change, over time, women’s athletics began to flourish.
Nearly 50 years after the amendment was passed, the NCAA announced that the male to female athlete ratio was nearly even. With 278,614 male participants and 216,378 female participants, it’s evident that Title IX still resonates in colleges and universities across the nation.
Did You Know?
Title IX also helped grow women’s sports at the high school level. In 1972, there were under 300,000 women competing in high school athletics. Today, that number has increased to roughly 2.6 million.
Title IX in the Classroom
Gender discrimination in the classroom isn’t always obvious, but it’s just as destructive. Here are few ways a breach in Title IX could take place in a learning environment:
- Being misgendered by classmates or instructors
- Being told by a teacher that they expect more because of your gender
- Being called derogatory names related to your sexual orientation
- Offensive gendered remarks
- Unwelcomed sexual advances
Have you been wrongfully accused of one of the following Title IX breaches? It’s important to hire a Boston defense attorney that has experience advocating for college students.
For more information on how we can help you fight your case, contact Brad Bailey Law today!
What Is OCR?
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is an entity under the Department of Education that evaluates each complaint filed and dictates whether further action should be taken. Outside of Title IX, OCR also evaluates other laws enforced by the Department of Education:
- Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Age Discrimination Act of 1975
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act
What Does the Evaluation Process Look Like?
When filing a complaint, you can expect the following process to be executed for your case:
- Once OCR receives a written complaint a committee meets to determine if further action is needed.
- If the complaint constitutes further processing, OCR will then decide if it can legally investigate the complaint. Certain circumstances might present roadblocks. If so, the complainant would have to contact law enforcement for an investigation.
- If OCR determines that it can legally investigate, an official may reach out to the complainant within two weeks of the complaint being submitted.
- During this contact, the official will ask for additional information about the alleged victim, the person in question, or other aspects of the circumstance.
- Finally, if OCR receives additional information it will decide to open an investigation. When this happens, both the complainant and recipient will receive letters notifying them of the investigation.
It should be noted that OCR reserves the right to dismiss your complaint if it meets any of the following requirements:
- The complaint doesn’t meet any of the previously mentioned acts that OCR governs
- The complaint is entirely speculation and incoherent
- The complaint has already been investigated by state or federal authorities
- The complainant failed to provide further details with 14 days of being contacted by OCR
- The allegations have already been resolved
Have you or a loved one been wrongfully accused of an incident involving Title IX? At Brad Bailey Law, our criminal defense lawyer has vast experience assisting clients with these types of cases. To start your free consultation, give us a call today: (617) 500-0252!