Authors: Nandini Nair & Dr. Sandi

Within the United States of America, when the conversation turns to Title IX, attention often shifts towards sports and the significant achievements of Title IX and equity for women. Originating during the second wave of feminism, Title IX advocated for the increased involvement of women in sports, which at that time was predominantly limited to a collegiate, in-house, sport level. Despite earlier attempts to boost their participation at the intercollegiate level, it was not until after Title IX’s implementation that the national participation of women in high school and college sports dramatically increased, due to heightened calls for reform for equitable monetary resources and academic support. Most recently, Title IX has stimulated numerous debates and discussions regarding the inclusion of the LGBTQI+ community within the sports sector, calling for the clarification of athletic fairness and equity when distinguishing between women and men that identify as women. Unfortunately, this controversial athletic topic has derailed the entire conversation around Title IX. The problem is that while the impact of Title IX is indeed indisputable, the tendency to associate it solely with sports often pigeonholes Title IX as a law pertaining only to sports, thereby ignoring its pivotal role as a protection for education in prohibiting all forms of sexual discrimination. Although we may still be years away from truly understanding that sports is merely one component of Title IX, it is important to understand that the conversation must start somewhere. Title IX Consulting Group recommends administrators within educational institutions increase Title IX student information, for athletes and non-athletes, regarding:

• The areas Title IX protects and prohibits (i.e., sexual misconduct, athletic inequities, pregnant and parenting inequities)
• The adjudication process (informal and formal protocols for all three major types of inequities: sexual misconduct, athletic inequities, pregnant and parenting inequities)
• Athletic protocols (e.g., who to report to) when there may be concern for Title IX violations/inequities (re: (sexual misconduct, athletic concerns, pregnant and parenting inequities))

Overall, the misconception that Title IX operates solely for the protection of sports equity causes a dangerous barrier to help protect individuals at schools or campuses from things such as sexual assault or domestic violence. When Title IX is viewed as solely about sports it is intensely damaging to the work Title IX has done, and the purpose and true nature as to why it was adopted into law over 52 years ago.