National Women’s Law Center Confused over Title IX

Early last week, Dina Lassow of the National Women’s Law Center praised Judge Glen E. Conrad of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia for dismissing a lawsuit by Equity in Athletics, Inc. (EIA) against James Madison Univeristy.

EIA challenged the university’s decision to cut varsity funding of ten athletic teams (three female, seven male). Lassow claims that EIA’s lawsuit stems from the group’s belief that T9’s three-part test “is unfair to male athletes.” Unfortunately, the record doesn’t support that assertion at all. After all, when the suit was originally filed in March, 2007, EIA President John Licata went to pains to point out that in this case it was clear that the three part test failed to “expand opportunities for women.”

What’s disappointing is a that representative of an organization with a mission, “to expand the possibilities for women and their families at work, in school, and in virtually every aspect of their lives,” would support a ruling stripping females of collegiate athletic opportunities.

Male and female athletes alike will continue to be denied varsity collegiate sports until groups like NWLC view lawsuits such as EIA’s not as an attack on gender equality, but as an attempt to restructure Title IX for the benefit of all. For our complete archive of stories on the James Madison case, click here.

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