In a huge victory for girls playing high school sports, on February 9, 2012, San Diego District Court Judge James M. Lorenz ruled that the Sweetwater Union High School District violatedTitle IX by unfairly favoring boys’ sports over girls’ sports at Castle Park High School (“CPHS”) by giving the boys better athletic facilities, resources and opportunities. The Court also found that the administration retaliated... [Read More]
On April 4, 2011, the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a “significant guidance document” intended to assist schools receiving Federal funding in meeting their obligations under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”). Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex – including sexual harassment and sexual violence – in any... [Read More]
Women Veterans Need Your Help! The California Women’s Law Center encourages attorneys to participate in a free online training on veterans benefits on May 6, 2011, starting at 9:00 AM. The training is provided by the Practising Law Institute (PLI) and co-sponsored by the State Bar of California. Upon completing the training, you will be certified as an attorney accredited to represent veterans applying for benefits... [Read More]
April 12, 2011 is National Equal Pay Day, a day set aside by President Obama last year to to acknowledge the injustice of wage discrimination and to achieve equal pay for equal work. Today, full-time women workers earn only 77% of what full-time male workers earn. In 1963, this number was 59%, meaning that since 1963, the wage gap has narrowed by less than 0.5% per year. This disparity costs America’s working... [Read More]
On April 4, 2011, Vice President Biden announced that the Administration has issued a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter withdrawing a 2005 interpretation of Title IX policy, returning to a more thorough test for assessing compliance with Title IX. Title IX is most frequently cited in the context of sports equality, but the law extends much further than sports. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in any form, which... [Read More]
Our cases start with one person and one story, which is collaborated by many other women’s experiences. Selenia Wilborn’s story is one that women of all professions can relate. From our friends at the Title IX Blog: Title IX Covers Harassment in Truck Driving Program In 2007, Selenia Wilborn (not pictured) was the only woman in her class in the Tractor-Trailer Truck Driving Program operated by a community... [Read More]
It’s now a rare event where a television franchise such as American Idol inspires the courage to question and challenge cultural ‘norms’. We thought it was important to bring you this great article from today’s New York Post. Bravery of Arab TV ‘Idol’ Veiled poetess hits ‘vicious, barbaric clerics’ By LUKAS I. ALPERT A burqa-clad contestant on the Arabic version of “American... [Read More]
Health insurers are legally allowed to consider gender in the health insurance market, allowing insurers to charge women more than men. The National Women’s Law Center conducted a study last year that highlights health insurance gender disparity. The NWLC study found that 95 percent of insurance companies charge women more than men for the same coverage for individual policies. For 60 percent of plans, a 40-year-old... [Read More]
The debate in France over religious coverings was once again revived as Sarkozy proclaimed that the burqa “is not a religious sign” but rather, “a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement…and will not be welcome in France.” Though this declaration is not so shocking in light of France’s law, passed in 2004, banning Islamic veils or so-called “ostentatious religious symbols” from schools, coming from... [Read More]
On June 22, French President Nicolas Sarkozy elicited a wave of criticism by supporting a controversial push to ban women from wearing the burqa in public in France. Speaking to Parliament, Sarkozy declared that, “the burqa is not a religious sign. It is a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement….It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic.” Sarkozy’s comments have sparked debate on the role... [Read More]