“It has taken 50 years to make progress,”: Protections within Title IX to expand with Biden administration proposals

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -A proposal from the Biden administration would change, Title IX, for the second time in two years. Although, the federal law of just 37 words, is broad for a reason and affects more than just the world of athletics.

“It’s not the only aspect of life that’s changed as a result of Title IX,” said University of Florida Professor Emerita of Sociology and Women’s Studies, Dr. Constance Shehan.”It has taken five decades to make progress.”

The Biden administration announced a laundry list of protections and requirements to update Title IX on the milestone anniversary. The last time the rule was changed was during Trump’s presidency. Former U.S Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos put more protections in place for those accused in cases that involve Title IX violations.

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“Really in the early days it dealt with admission into colleges for women because at the time there were quotas in the sense of there was a maximum number of women that were admitted to many colleges and universities and some actually did not admit women at all,” added Shehan.

U.S Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona wants the rule to protect LGBT+ and pregnant students from discrimination for the first time ever. It also includes protection from retaliation for people who use Title IX to report an issue.

“50 years is a long time. All of the changes that we see today did not happen when the law was first implemented in 1975,” added Shehan. “Middle schoolers, high schoolers, college students, they are increasingly aware of what their rights are. I think continuing to educate students about the rights that title nine gives them, the more proactive they are and they’ll fight for themselves.”

The first wave of changes is going through a 60-day public comment period before being finalized.

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