Helpful info, well summarized (after FUBeAR reorganized / edited it slightly) for those discussing the Title IX topic…
What are the three components in Title IX?
IMPORTANT: a school must comply with each of the three components of Title IX. In other words, schools must meet at least 1 required “prong” (see below) of component 1) to satisfy compliance with that component AND must also meet the requirements of component 2) AND component 3) to be in full compliance with Title IX.
3 COMPONENTS
1) Schools must accommodate student interests - The three-prong test (see details of the “three-prong test” below) is used to determine whether a school is effectively accommodating student interests in athletics. There are three factors (discussed in detail below) that courts will consider when evaluating whether a school has effectively accommodated the athletic interests of students of both genders (both? hmmm? - FUBeAR). If ANY ONE of the three prongs are satisfied, the school has complied with this component of Title IX.
2) Schools must provide proportional financial assistance to male and female teams. (For a definition of “proportional” in this context, see the bolded text within “Prong 1” below)
3) Schools must also offer equivalent benefits and opportunities to teams for both (both? again? - FUBeAR) genders. This includes equal access to facilities; equivalent quality and quantity of uniforms, coaching, schedules, equipment, and officials; and a similar quantity of available sports and levels of competition.
What Is the Three Prong Test for Component 1) of Title IX?
When analyzing if a school’s athletics program is equal between the sexes, you must review three factors to determine whether the interests of female students have been adequately accommodated by the athletic opportunities are provided. Each of these factors is known as a “prong” in the three-prong test, and only one of the prongs must be satisfied to determine that a school has appropriately accommodated its students.
Prong #1 — Proportionality
The first prong in the three-prong test reviews whether the number of male and female students enrolled in the school’s athletics programs is proportional to the number of male and female students in the entire student body. So, for example, if a school’s student body is about half male and half female, but only 25% of student-athletes are female, this prong would not be satisfied.
Prong #2 — Expansion
When a school has a disproportionate number of male and female students in its sports programs, it can satisfy the second prong of the three-test instead of the first. To do so, the school must prove that it is in the process of expanding its female athletics programs to align with female students’ interests. This means that even if a school fails the first prong, it can still comply with Title IX by working towards proportional representation in its athletics program.
Prong #3 — Accommodating Interests (without Proportionality or Expansion)
The third prong of the test allows schools with disproportionate athletics programs that are not being expanded to show they are complying with Title IX by proving that the existing program is accommodating student interests in athletics. In other words, if a school can show that female students are not interested in participating in an expanded athletic program, it can be found in compliance with Title IX.
Last edited by FUBeAR on Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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