New Government Watchdog Report: Poor Oversight of Title IX Enforcement Negatively Impacts Female Student Athletes Participation in College Sports
WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Subcommittee on Early Childhood and Secondary Education released a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report found that inadequate oversight of Title IX negatively impacts women from participating in college athletics.
Under Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, schools that receive federal financial aid are required to provide students with an equal opportunity to participate in sports, use facilities, and obtain scholarship aid.
Unfortunately, according to data received through the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, the GAO found that in the academic year 2021-2022, women’s athletic participation rate was 14 percent lower than their enrollment rate, and in that same year, 40 percent of colleges had fewer varsity sports for women to participate in. This means that enrolled female students who wished to play varsity sports were unable to do so because the college or university did not provide the sport or did not have the resources to accommodate it.
“Every student who wants to play a sport in college should have a fair and equal opportunity to do so,” said Ranking Member Scott. “Regrettably, today’s GAO report confirms that while female college enrollment numbers outpace male enrollment, opportunities for female athletes significantly lag behind their male counterparts. We should be doing all we can to close this gap. I am grateful the Biden Administration is updating Title IX regulations, and I look forward to improved enforcement by the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights to address these inequities.”
“Title IX sets a standard of equal opportunity that too many schools have failed to meet. This new report from the GAO shows that women enroll in college at a higher rate than men but consistently participate in college athletics at a lower rate than men,” said ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici. “I appreciate the steps the Biden administration has taken to strengthen Title IX protections, and I will continue to work with Ranking Member Scott and my other colleagues to advance the policies and resources needed for every student to have a meaningful opportunity to participate in sports—regardless of their gender.”
“This critical study on equity in college athletics brings to light the inequities that girls and women in sport continue to face, over 50 years after the enactment of Title IX. It has been our mission at the VOICEINSPORT Foundation to fight for gender equity in sport and close the gaps highlighted in this study, and we are pleased that the release of these findings will finally focus national attention on the actions that need to be taken to reignite progress for girls and women in sport. The GAO’s finding that about two-thirds of American universities are failing to provide women with equitable opportunities to participate in athletics should be a jarring wake-up call to schools and the Department of Education. We applaud the work of the GAO on this study and hope that their recommendations are implemented and further action is taken to challenge the inequities young women are currently facing in athletics,” said Stef Strack, Founder VOICEINSPORT Foundation.
The Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights is responsible for ensuring colleges meet their Title IX obligations. However, the GAO found that inconsistent oversight practices made it difficult for institutions to address issues or make adjustments to their student athletic programs.
To read the full GAO report entitled, College Athletics: Education Should Improve Its Title IX Enforcement Efforts, click here.
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