Title IX: 50 Years
On June 23, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed Title IX into law.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that provides: no person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in all university programs and activities, including, but not limited to, admissions, recruiting, financial aid, academic programs, student services, counseling and guidance, discipline, class assignment, grading, recreation, athletics, housing, and employment.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, a recipient institution that receives Department funds must operate its education program or activity in a nondiscriminatory manner free of discrimination based on sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Some key issue areas in which recipients have Title IX obligations are: recruitment, admissions, and counseling; financial assistance; athletics; sex-based harassment, which encompasses sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence; treatment of pregnant and parenting students; treatment of LGBTQI+ students; discipline; single-sex education; and employment. Also, no recipient or other person may intimidate, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Title IX or its implementing regulations, or because the individual has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in a proceeding under Title IX. For a recipient to retaliate in any way is considered a violation of Title IX.
Milestones in Women’s Sports
In 1991, all Olympic sports are required to have women’s competitions.
In 1996, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was formed. Bluefield University’s very own women’s basketball assistant coach Andrea Stinson was one of the inaugural players in this league.
In February of 2002, American sprinter and long jumper-turned-bobsledder Vonetta Flowers becomes the first Black athlete (from any country) to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Flowers was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
On March 9, 2017, after more than 100 women—including Olympians Aly Raisman and Simone Biles—come forward about sexual abuse by a former USA Gymnastics doctor, Congress proposes a bill to create SafeSport, an independent organization to address sexual misconduct. It passes in 2018.
Bluefield University on Title IX
Bluefield University’s policy is to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits retaliation for asserting or otherwise participating in claims of sex discrimination. Bluefield University has designated a Title IX coordinator and deputies to oversee Bluefield’s compliance with and response to inquiries concerning Title IX. A person may also file a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights regarding an alleged violation of Title IX by visiting the U.S. Department of Education’s website or calling 800-421-3481.
How to Report a Title IX Grievance
Any person may report a grievance relating to sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, whether the person reporting is the person who may be the victim of the conduct being reported.
A report may be made:
- In-person during regular business hours.
- At any time during or outside of regular business hours by mail, telephone, or;
- At any time, using any other means that result in the Title IX coordinator receiving the verbal or written report.