Title IX was created in 1972, and it protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities.
Title IX requires that every educational institution have a Title IX Compliance Coordinator. Although Title IX has been around for 50 years, many students are still unaware of it.
Every syllabus for classes at the university has a section that discloses the information about Title IX. The university also takes discrimination and harassment seriously.
Students of all ages are subject to Title IX.
In an Instagram poll answered by 29 students conducted by the reporter for this story, 52% of students voted that they had no idea what Title IX is, 38% of students voted that they knew what Title IX is and 3% of students voted that they kind of knew what Title IX is.
Suzette McQueen is the deputy athletic director and senior woman administrator at Kent State. As a senior woman administrator, she is the senior woman on staff.
“This is sort of a Title IX thing, but back in the 80s they mandated that athletic departments had to have a woman in the room making these decisions,” McQueen said.
It is not her job, she said but she is designated as the senior woman on staff.
“Most of the schools, especially division I schools will assign it to someone who does have a seat at the table and who does have an impact on decision making,” McQueen said.
McQueen said it can be a good thing that students are not aware of what Title IX does for them because that can mean that they do not feel discriminated against on the basis of sex, but that it is still relevant today.
“There are still instances where you notice something is going on,” McQueen said. “The sexual discrimination is a big one and to be intimidated in the classroom or if you feel like you’re being stalked, or you were denied some type of access to something as a student. From a sexual discrimination piece, it is very relevant.”
Duffy Law states “Students and employees have many different rights under Title IX, including the rights preventing gender discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and unlawful retaliation.”
Suzanne Holt, a women’s studies professor at Kent State, said Title IX is still extremely relevant.
“If you don’t really comprehend how Title IX was an intervention that was necessary, it’s like you don’t understand that it took firemen to put out the fire,” Holt said.
She said it is an important topic because it is fading into oblivion.
Holt said Title IX was one of the first pieces of legislation to “dare to mess with the gender imbalance or the inequality of sexes.”
“It’s easy to forget that one thing and having those guarantees in law has meant night and day difference, especially for those young women that are either players themselves or are interested in some aspect of womens’ athleticism,” Holt said.
Emilee Cardani is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
