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Title IX - Myth or Fact

Fact or Myth? Eight in ten voters support Title IX.
Fact. Eight in ten (80%) voters DO support Title IX
 
Fact or Myth? Title IX forces schools to cut men's sports.
Myth. Title IX in no way requires schools to cut men's sports. "Nothing in Title IX requires the cutting or reduction of teams in order to demonstrate compliance." (DOE) All federal courts to consider the question have agreed. Some schools have decided on their own to eliminate certain men's sports, but the law is flexible. There are many other ways to come into compliance. Some schools have cut sports, like gymnastics and wrestling, rather than controlling bloated football and basketball budgets, which consume a whopping 72% of the average Division I-A school's total men's athletic operating budget. For example, San Diego State University decided to address its $2 million budget deficit by cutting its men's volleyball team instead of cutting slightly into the $5 million football budget. But there are other options: A recent GAO study found that 72% of schools that added teams from 1992-1993 to 1999-2000 did so without discontinuing any teams
 
Fact or Myth? Title IX is only about athletics.
Myth. Most people who know about Title IX think it only applies to sports, but Title IX applies to every aspect of Federally funded education programs. In fact, athletics is only one of 10 major areas addressed by the law. These other areas are: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing, and Technology.
 
Fact or Myth? Title IX applies only to females.
Myth. Both male and female students are protected by Title IX.
 
 
 
The following questions are based upon statistics from www.titlenine.info and SCC policies:
True/False:
Title IX is an award winning work of literature written in the early 19th century by Mark Twain.
False:
Title IX is part of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 (amending the Higher Education Act of 1965). It is a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational institutions. The law states, “"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

True/False:
Every educational institution must, by law, have a title IX coordinator.
True:
Every school or school district that receives federal funding (which includes almost all colleges and universities, as well as public elementary, middle and secondary schools) is required to designate and/or adequately train at least one employee to coordinate the recipient's Title IX responsibilities. Title IX regulations also require that the names and contact information of each Title IX Coordinator be made public by the educational institution.

True/False:
A high school may force pregnant teens to leave school or forcibly place them in separated classes from their peers.
False:
Title IX ensures that pregnant teens are allowed to finish their degree and remain in school. They must not be treated any differently than any other student.
Schools can have separate programs for pregnant students, but enrollment in these programs must be voluntary, and they must be of comparable quality to the other programs the school offers.

True/False:
Less than 35% of school principals are women, although 65% of teachers are women.
True:
Even though teaching has always been stereotyped as a “woman’s profession”, when it comes to administrative positions in education, women are not fairly represented. Part of Title IX is to seek equity in employment for women.

True/False:
Boys are just as likely to face sexual harassment as girls.
False:
Girls are more likely than boys to experience sexual harassment (56% versus 40%), but boys today are more likely to be harassed than boys were in 1993. So the numbers are growing for boys who are sexually harassed. Title IX protects both males and females from unwanted sexual advances and sexual harassment.

True/False:
Those facing bullying are protected under Title IX.
True:
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—including harassment and bullying—in schools that receive federal funding.  This means that school districts may violate Title IX when sex-based harassment by classmates (or peers) is so serious that it creates a hostile environment for the victim and such harassment is encouraged, tolerated, not adequately addressed, or ignored by school employees.
 
True/False:
Title IX protects not only students, but employees in education such as teachers and staff.
True:
Title IX protects every student from sexual harassment or gender-based harassment in schools.  It also applies to school employees, such as teachers.
 
True/False:
For harassment to be considered sexual, the harassing student and the victim must be of opposite sex.
False:
As long as the harassment or bullying is on the basis of sex, it does not need to come from a student of the opposite sex to be prohibited by Title IX.

True/False:
Gender equity in standardized tests falls under Title IX.
True:
Title IX requires that tests must be valid predictors of success in the areas being tested and that they measure what they say they measure. If a test doesn't meet this standard, and if it results in a lower score for a significant number of members of one sex, it may be unlawful.
 
True/False:
Title IX strives to create a gender neutral learning environment.
True:
Gender stereotypes are changing in society, texts, and classrooms. Equal attention and a supportive learning environment in all subject areas have been recognized as important safeguards to ensure that girls get the most from their education. Girls are encouraged to think of themselves in future careers not only as mothers, nurses, secretaries or teachers, but also as scientists, doctors, lawyers and engineers. The same is true for men. More men are going into nursing and education than in times past due to the gender neutral environment being fostered in the educational arena. We still have a long ways to go in this area, but the environment is definitely improving and more and more children are growing up knowing their future is wide open to many opportunities, not just the ones society dictates as gender acceptable.
 
Multiple Choice:
 
Who is the Title IX coordinator for student admissions or program discrimination on the SCC Jackson campus?
A. Dr. Thom Brooks
B. President Tomas
C. Cheryl Contino-Conner, Dean of Students
D. Everyone in administration is considered Title IX coordinators
 
Answer: C – Cheryl Contino-Conner
 
 
Who is the Title IX coordinator for Employment discrimination at SCC?
A. Dr. Thom Brooks
B. Lisa Sizemore, Director of Human Resources
C. Cheryl Contino-Conner, Dean of Students
D. Cheryl Davids, Dean of Macon Campus
 
Answer: B – Lisa Sizemore
 
Which of the following are prohibited under Title IX
A. Bullying
B. Sexual Harassment
C. Lack of equity in sports
D. Gender biased questions on standardized tests
E. All the above are prohibited under Title IX
 
Answer: E – All the above
 
Any act or failure to act that unreasonably and unfavorably differentiates treatment of others based solely on their race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sex, age, disability, genetic information and veteran status…may be intentional or unintentional.
 
The above is a definition of:
A. Harassment
B. Discrimination
C. Bullying
D. Stalking
 
Answer: B – Discrimination
 
Gender Identity Harassment – Is defined as a behavior that targets someone for offensive, hostile, degrading or insulting treatment because of their gender.
 
Which of the following is/are examples of Gender Identity Harassment?
A. Making derogatory jokes about gender-specific traits or based on negative gender stereotypes.
B. Using sexist humor as a classroom teaching technique.
C. Using derogatory, gender-based terms.
D. All of the above are examples of Gender Identity Harassment
 
Answer: D – All of the above
 
 
Verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of his or her race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information and veteran status, or any other legally protected status not listed herein, or that of his or her relative, friends, or associates, and has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or learning environment.
 
The above is a definition of:
A. Stalking
B. Domestic violence
C. Harassment
D. Battery
 
Answer: C – Harassment
 
Reports of disability discrimination should be made to the College’s Director of Disabilities (for student matters).
 
Who is the College’s Director of Disabilities?
A. Lisa Sizemore
B. Cheryl Contino-Conner
C. Peter Buck
D. Dr. Thom Brooks
 
Answer: C – Peter Buck
 
Whose responsibility is it to keep the college campus free from harassment, bullying and discrimination?
A. Faculty and Staff
B. Students
C. Administration
D. We are all responsible
 
Answer: D – We are all responsible – It is up to all of us to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be educated free from harassing behavior. We all need to work toward an educational environment that is accepting and not judgmental or hostile.
 
Which US president signed the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 (the act that includes title IX) into law?
A. Carter
B. Ford
C. Reagan
D. Nixon
 
Answer: D – Nixon

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