Title 11 Effects On Women In Sports

Confidence is found when women are challenged. Starting to face challenges in athletics at a young age, a junior volleyball player at Wellesley College, Alixandra Binney says athletics have made her a more confident and tenacious person (Simpson). Forty years ago, Laura Silvieus was one of the few women with an athletic scholarship. Graduating at the top of her class from Edgewood High School near Ashtabua, Silvieus was the captain of the girls’ softball and basketball. She was also an MVP in a recreational volleyball league. Applying for a scholarship that only two students received, Silvieus was awarded the scholarship and attended the University of Chicago. Silvieus was MVP in volleyball in 1975 and 1976, and the MVP in basketball in 1977.

Sexual assault is a major issue on college campuses and effects students both physically and mentally. The Associated Press found that there were 17,000 reports of sexual assault over a four-year period at schools across the United States. These reports include those from victims as young as five. Title IX protection does not only apply to female students, but prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) are at an increased risk of sexual assault, but are protected under Title IX. The Justice Department estimates that only twenty percent of those who are sexually assaulted report their case to the police. Title IX requires that colleges and universities disclose all of the options and resources available to students who have been sexually assaulted. These resources include medical care, emotional support, and confidential counseling. These resources are to be offered even if the sexual assault case is not reported to authorities. Title IX requires that universities offer a range of supports from academic and housing modifications to protection from disciplinary action if the student was drinking underage or using drugs when the incident occurred. Students can report both anonymously or on behalf of a peer that has experienced sexual

Title IX recognizes that all students have the right to due process and directs universities to be as supportive as possible to students who have experienced an incident of sexual assault or harassment. However, institutions have to be fair to the person that is reported and honor their rights to due process as well. If complaints are filed by students saying that the institution falls short of their requirements, it is The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights who is responsible for enforcing Title IX regulations (Palumbo). While these regulations seem to be clear, the controversy comes when institutions have to decide what is considered a “hostile environment.” A hostile environment is defined as “an environment in which it is impossible for the assaulted student to carry on with daily life in his or her normal manner.” The problem with proving that it is a hostile environment for the victim is that criminal codes regarding sexual violence in American states differ from Title IX’s. To convict someone of sexual assault, one must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the assault occurred. In some cases, this makes sexual assault reports impossible to prove. However, it is the basis of criminal code: all the