William_T._Bianco,_David_T._Canon]_American_Polit

184184 Chapter 5 | Civil Rights

Many men’s sports, such as baseball, tennis, wrestling, and gymnastics, were cut at

universities that had to bring the number of male and female student athletes into rough

parity. Critics argued that such cuts were unfair, especially given that the interest in

women’s sports was not as high. Defenders of the law argue that the gap in interest in

women’s and men’s sports will not change until there is equal opportunity. There is

some evidence to support that claim, as interest is increasing in professional women’s

soccer with the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) and professional women’s

basketball with the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association), as well as in

well-established women’s professional sports such as golf and tennis.

Another significant legislative effort during this period was the failed Equal Rights

Amendment. The amendment was approved by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states

for ratification. Its wording was simple: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be

denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.” Many states

passed it within months, but the process lost momentum and after seven years (the

deadline set by Congress for ratification by the states) the amendment fell 3 states short

of the 38 states required for adoption. The amendment received a three-year extension

from Congress, but it still did not get the additional three states.

In 1994, Congress passed the Violence against Women Act, which allowed women

who were the victims of physical abuse and violence to sue in federal court and provided

funding for investigating and prosecuting violent crimes against women, for helping

the victims of such crimes, and for prevention programs. In 2000, part of the law was

overturned by the Supreme Court, which ruled that Congress had exceeded its powers

under the commerce clause.^94 Nonetheless, the funding provisions of the act were

reauthorized and expanded by Congress in 2000, 2005, and 2013.

No person in the United States

shall, on the basis of sex, be

excluded from participation

in, be denied the benefits of, or

be subjected to discrimination

under any educational program

or activity receiving Federal

financial assistance.

—Full text of Title IX

FIGURE

5.6

Discrimination

Cases Filed

with the Equal

Employment

Opportunity

Commission,

2017

Discrimination based on race and

color, and discrimination based on

sex, are the two types most frequently

reported, but there is a significant

amount of discrimination based on age

and disability as well. What types of

discrimination do you think would be

most likely to go unreported?

Note: Percentages do not sum to 100

because complaints may be filed in more

than one category.

5

Race and

color

Sex Age National

origin

Religion Equal Pay

Act

10

15

20

25

40%

30

35

Disability

Percentage of total charges filed

Source: “Charge Statistics, FY 1997 through FY 2017,” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,

http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/charges.cfm (accessed 4/13/18).

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