Despite their legal obligation, many elementary and high schools around the country still haven’t taken steps to comply with Title IX — the federal civil rights law, enacted in 1972, that bars discrimination based on gender in any education program or activity that receives federal financial assistance. Instead, schools often wait to develop protocol until it’s too late and lawsuits are in motion.
But with the average case costing schools $200,000, school leaders have plenty of incentive to ensure that they are compliant with Title IX, says William Howe — not just because it will potentially save money down the road, of course, but because it’s the right thing to do. Howe, former state Title IX coordinator for Connecticut who continues to train educators today, adds, “Some schools are ignoring it, but a lot of educators are just unaware.”