On June 23, Title IX celebrated its 35th anniversary and columnists and bloggers have plenty to say about the landmark federal law that requires equal treatment for girls and boys on the playing field and at institutions that receive federal money. This Salon.com column points out the athletic limits once placed on girls which would now be unthinkable. In The Huffington Post attorney Emily J. Martin looks beyond athletics to the issue of single-sex education, also governed by the law. But the San Francisco Chronicle says the law is facing a mid-life crisis that includes a loss of leadership in women’s athletics. Sports Illustrated calls for a dose of common sense when it comes to enforcement of the law, tackling complaints from many male athletes who say their sports (like gymnastics and wrestling) are being scrapped so colleges and universities can comply with the law’s requirements.
What’s your opinion on Title IX? Has the law made it possible for girls to get an equal education and find equal footing on the athetics field at your school? Have you seen male sports eliminated due to enforcement? We’d like to hear from you.