On Thursday, March 20, an Executive Order on “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities” was signed. This Executive Order instructs the Secretary of Education to begin taking steps to close the Department of Education to the extent allowable by law. Notably, it also says, “Consistent with the Department of Education’s authorities, the Secretary of Education shall ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds is subject to rigorous compliance with Federal law…” – which would include Title IX.
Education is the cornerstone of many sports experiences for boys and girls in the United States and Title IX is responsible for the exponential growth we have seen for girls and women. Title IX has stood strong for almost 53 years and will continue to be the law. Regardless of where oversight for Title IX sits, schools must continue to comply with it and we expect enforcement of the law, including its regulations around athletics.