Group Sues Dept. of Ed. Over Gender Rules

The advocacy group American Sports Council (ASC) has filed a federal lawsuit against the United States Department of Education for what it sees as gender bias in interpretation of the agency’s Title IX amendment, which include gender quotas for high school sports programs, reports DailyCaller.com.

Title IX, which was first passed in 1972 as an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, seeks to provide males and females with equal opportunities to play school sports and obtain sports scholarships. The agency maintains that it covers only higher-education institutions, but ASC disputes this, saying that activists operating under the Title IX banner intimidate high schools into following its precepts.

It believes that compliance with the regulation could result in many high school boys being shut out of sports programs.

Attorney Joshua Thompson of Pacific Legal Foundation, which filed the suit on behalf of ASC, acknowledged that Title IX does not require gender quotas in high schools, but said its ideals are creeping into national high school policies.

“Quota mandates are at odds with the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection and equal treatment of people regardless of sex,” said Thompson. “But in recent years, federal policy guidelines on Title IX have made vague references to high schools in a way that allows pro-quota activists to misconstrue Title IX and wrongly demand that high schools institute quota policies.”

ASC told the Caller that it supports Title IX as written, but disagrees with how it has been interpreted.

The ASC, formerly known as the College Sports Council, describes itself on its website as “a national coalition of coaches, athletes, parents, alumni, and fans who are devoted to preserving and promoting the student athlete experience.”