Snowe introduces bill to strengthen Title IX
3/3/09 | 9 comments

Snowe introduces bill to strengthen Title IX


By Drew FitzGerald
Boston University Washington News Service

WASHINGTON — Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said she aims to draw more girls to high school sports by making schools report the gender breakdown of their athletic programs and making that information available online.

In legislation proposed recently, high schools would collect information on the gender and ethnicity of participants in school-sponsored athletic programs, including the number of practices, games and playoff appearances each team makes. Information on each school would be posted on the Department of Education’s Web site.

“While we’ve made tremendous progress in ensuring gender equity, students and parents can’t see whether the law is being followed because they don’t have key information about scholarships, opportunities or athletics budgets,” Snowe said in a statement Wednesday. “This bill would help us take those last couple steps and en-sure that girls are getting the same chance to play sports as their male peers.”

The bill, also sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would enact the same requirements for high schools that are already mandated for colleges and universities under Title IX, which requires that federal funds be distributed equally between male and female teams.

College athletic programs risk lawsuits from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights if they do not comply with Title IX, said Katie Herbine, associate athletic director for compliance at the University of Maine.

Stricter reporting requirements could force high schools to “open their eyes” to the fact that they are not complying with the law’s provision on gender parity, she said.

“Universities have been caught on this before,” Herbine said. “A lot of places do the best they can, but sometimes that’s not good enough.”

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Comments
9 comments on this item
On 3/4/09 at 12:03 AM, mainejeff wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I'm waiting for the day when there are too many women's programs because all of the men's programs have been cut to comply with Title IX. It will be funny (and ironic) when they have to start cutting women's programs because the men's programs have disappeared.

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On 3/4/09 at 7:34 AM, newportres wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

I can't believe this is the best we can do for representation.

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On 3/4/09 at 8:22 AM, SamAyers wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Is this the best that Olive Oil can offer us in such a time of crisis. No wonder the approval rating for congress is so low.

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On 3/4/09 at 8:34 AM, I_work_thank_me wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Are you kidding me?????

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On 3/4/09 at 9:25 AM, commonsense wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

As a female, former high school and college athlete, mother of two aspiring college athletes, I too think this is ridiculous. I would like to ask Ms. Snowe, why now? There must be some reason, meaning persons, behind this at this time. College athletics, high school athletics are expensive, is she going to find the money to support more women's programs, that cannot support themselves? Olympia, for god's sakes open your eyes, do some real work, and stop the train wreck occurring in our nations capital under Obama and Co. He's bankrupting our country and you are enabling him!

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On 3/4/09 at 11:04 AM, Pegasus wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

In a time when President Obama, Nancy Pelosi ,Harry Reid and the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, with the help of Snowe and Collins, are leading the country on a path of socialistic destruction, Senator Snowe is wasting time on such trivia! Senator Snowe, please start representing the hard-working peopla of Maine and help restore our long and successful capatalistic society where private enterprise supercedes harmful intervention by a huge and bloated government.

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On 3/4/09 at 11:23 AM, ChrisM wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Doesn't Snowe have anything better to do? Like bow to Obama and kiss his boots? What a joke!!!!!! It is not needed and is a waste of money. When will people not get it through the skulls that spending money when you are in serious debt is NOT a good thing. People of Maine, please stand up for the pragmatism, independence, and common sense that Mainers used to be known for.

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On 3/4/09 at 1:18 PM, Sledman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The economy's headed for a depression, unemployment will be at least 15% by the end of the year & our entitled legislators are spending thier time 'managing' stuff like this? No wonder we're doomed.

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On 3/4/09 at 6:09 PM, matt29 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

A lot of girls just have no interest in playing sports. They would rather spend their time socializing, shopping and being fashion conscious. The low number of girls playing sports may have nothing to do with lack of opportunity to play sports.

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