Woolsey and Shays Introduce Bill to Protect Equal Opportunities For Women

Woolsey and Shays Introduce Bill to Protect Equal Opportunities For Women

WASHINGTON, DC - "America's young women and girls deserve the same opportunities as their male counterparts," said U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey. Today, she and U.S. Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT) introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on the Department of Education to withdraw changes that harm Title IX - landmark legislation that ensures all students equal opportunities to participate in athletics. Reps. Woolsey and Shays are joined by 45 original co-sponsors.

"Title IX has transformed the playing fields of America," said Rep. Woolsey. "Since 1972, young women's participation in athletics has increased more than 400% at the college level and more than 800% in high school. And, these gains aren't limited to the schoolyard. Participating in athletics has helped women and girls succeed academically by increasing their confidence and self-esteem, and helping them avoid risky behaviors that could lead to drug use and teen pregnancy."

But these gains are at risk. One year ago tomorrow, the Department of Education issued the "Additional Clarification of Intercollegiate Athletics Policy: Three-Part Test - Part Three" without notice or opportunity for public comment. This "Additional Clarification" allows schools to demonstrate compliance with Title IX simply by administering an e-mail survey soliciting students' interest in athletic opportunities and allows schools to assume that women who do not respond to the survey are not interested in additional opportunities.

Said Woolsey, "the Department has shifted the burden of enforcing a critical civil rights law onto the shoulders of the young women it is meant to protect. The "Additional Clarification" is a disservice to these young women, it violates the spirit and intent of Title IX and the Department should withdraw it."

"Title IX has done much to curtail discriminatory practices against women and girls in high school and college," said Rep. Christopher Shays. "Organized sports teach many valuable lessons, including teamwork, confidence and leadership and girls should have the same access to athletic opportunities as their male counterparts. It concerns me that the Department of Education has taken steps to weaken Title IX, without even asking for public input and the resolution we are introducing today is an important step in ensuring we preserve Title IX."

"For the past 34 years, Title IX has served women spectacularly well," said Rep. Lois Capps. "It has opened doors of opportunity that were previously shut tight and provided our young women with a healthy means of achieving both on the field and in the classroom. It is deeply disturbing that the Bush Administration would want to turn back the clock and reverse the tremendous gains that women have made because of Title IX."

Educational institutions are in compliance with Title IX if 1. each gender comprises approximately the same percentage of athletes as it does of the student body; or 2. the school has a history and a continuing practice of increasing athletic opportunities for the underrepresented gender; or 3. the school is fully meeting the under-represented gender's athletic interest and abilities.

This three-part test has been supported by every Administration since its adoption in 1979 and has been deferred to by every Federal appellate court - nine of nine --that has considered it. Last year, Woolsey and 148 other Members of Congress called on the Bush Administration to rescind the "Additional Clarification," but the Administration refused.

The original bipartisan co-sponsors to the Woolsey/Shays resolution to protect Title IX are: Hilda Solis (D-CA), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Lois Capps (D-CA), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), George Miller (D-CA), Rob Simmons (R-CT), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Al Green (D-TX), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Sam Farr (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Barney Frank (D-MA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), John Olver (D-MA), John Lewis (D-GA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), Melissa Bean (D-IL), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) , Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), John Conyers (D-MI), Darlene Hooley (D-OR), Ed Case (D-HI), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), Lucille Roybal Allard (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Martin Sabo (D-MN), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Major Owens (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Donald Payne (D-NJ) and Danny Davis (D-IL).

http://www.house.gov/shays/news/2006/march/marwomen.htm