Title IX: Athletic director comments on law

posted in: Sports, Spring | 0

Title IX states no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Title IX was created in 1972 to provide women with equal opportunity in sports, the workplace and everyday life.

This federal law originally protected women against sex discrimination in education but now has become a broader spectrum due to amendments to the Title IX policy.

For example, in sports, Title IX makes it mandatory that women have an equal opportunity to play sports as men do.

Athletic Director Ken Schumann said that all programs, men and women, are equal.

He said that from an athletic standpoint there is a list of areas that the university must be in compliance with, which include facilities, access to the training room and staff and funding by the university.

“We have always tried to make sure that the way we look at athletics here is that everyone is treated equally,” Schumann said.

Schumann said that the athletic department is looking to give women more opportunities to play sports. With the addition of women’s lacrosse and women’s rowing recently, he feels that the athletic department is doing a good job of providing women with the opportunity to play a collegiate sport.

“This is a philosophy we have always had, we want to make sure all our sports programs are successful, both men’s and women’s programs,” Schumann said.

Paci c University has grown their women’s sports by six programs in the past 15 to 20 years according to Schumann and he said it has really opened up opportunities for women and it is something he says is very good of the university.

Assistant Athletic Director Lauren Espbensen said that Title IX doesn’t just encompass athletics and academics, but also sexual assault, LGBTQ inclusion and she said it is growing bigger and bigger.

“We are required to complete a federal report … and that shows us how we are spending our money,” Esbensen said. “It provides us an opportunity to examine the differences between our men’s and women’s programs.”

Esbensen said that Title IX is an important thing to have in all discussions when it comes to athletics and the athletic department has those conversations seamlessly.

As a take away, Title IX is something that fully embodies women empowerment and can aid in a woman’s decision to participate in sports. This law has created an environment that women can excel in.

Sponsored

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *