Share Your Story: Do you have a Title IX story to share?

Here's my story...When I was young I played with the neighborhood kids, mostly boys.  We played everything.  When we gt o be a little older Ingollowed the boys off to little league practice, glove in hand, only to be old I wasn't allowed.  One of my friends got on a team with a coach who would let me practice with them. I played catcher back then, and I was quite good, better than the boy catcher but still the coach couldn't let me play in any games.My friends and I went into middle school, there wesports sport offerings for me.  I played 6 aside intramural basketball after school.  Things changed  quickly.  I asked why we couldn't run the court, then s experienced the addition of the rover position in basketball... Two forwards only allowed in the front court, two guards only allowed on the back half, and two rover allowed to run the whole court.  What freedom, I was always a rover.  By the time I got to high school it was five on five full court, we played other schools, and there were numbers of other sports.  My town was great.  The newspaper came to interview me and a few of my friends about Title IX and our experience.  Then I injured my knee.  I was told by the Athletic Director that I should stop playing sports, that the training oom, the trainer, and the training supplies were all in the boys lockoom room, all for the boys.  the Director called a meeting with my parents, my mom came and my dad went to work.  Mom sat quiet, listening, the meeting ended, I continued to play.  In secret the trainer, worried about backlash, met me in my last period classroom to tape me every day.  As a graduating senior I was voted the top female athlete in my class abpnd given a number of scholarships.i went off to college to study physical education.  I continued to play sports, with a lingering knee problem until a jumpshott freshman year souring basketball seasodrilled away what remained of my anterior crutiate,  the school physician said I needed surgery.  I opted to return home to work with my surgeon at home only to hear from him that I should quit playing sports because a scare on my knee would do little for my bikini days on the beach.  Ha. Though much had changed, much had remained the same.  That was 1976.  Still 40 years later we can say the same.

I'm writting on behalf of an entire school, in Dade City, Florida.  Moore Mickens Education Center, first established in 1930 as the only school for students of color, at that time. It transitioned to the "school for students" that "no other schools want.There are a significant number of pregnant teens, and student parents that attend Moore Mickens, because of trouble regarding things like bullying and discrimination at other schools. They are part of the "cyesis" program. The school is also home for students with disabilities, like My 17 year old Son, who is enrolled in the adult education program, and ESOL or Migrant students, and those who are at risk for dropping out.Recently the School Board decided to close this school, we have not been given a date yet, but it could be as early as the end of this month. The only information provided to the public by the school board is that the students may be re-located to portables at some of the very same high schools the students left, to be at Moore Mickens. Students who want to learn, but can't in the traditional setting due to various reasons are being forced out of their chosen school.Moore Mickens is on the east side of the city and the proposed schools are on the west side. Many students ride bikes, walk or have family, friends or whomever they can transport them to Moore Mickens for classes at night. The difference in distances of the schools will prevent many students from attending. The only other adult learning center is over 40 miles away and since most students are in a stressed socio-economic situation, they will not be able to travel to that center either.This is a small town, with limited resources, but the people in support of keeping the school open, including the city council realize we may not have a chance without the help of a lawyer. Contacting the florida board of education has done no good. We are desperate. None of the students want to be displaced, but it is especialy hard for the pregnant teens, teen parents and students with exceptionalities such as My Son. Though the Superintendent states this is not a racial or discriminatory matter, there is a thing called disperate effect. Meaning; though the intentions of the school board may not be discriminatory, the results are. Please pray for us that we are able to keep this wonderful school open! Thank You!  

My name is Ashley Byrd, I am twenty three years old. My son, Jesse, just recently turned two months old. While I was pregnant, I decided to take classes through Brown Mackie College to obtain an Associates Degree in Paralegal studies. I chose Brown Mackie because it was advertised to be a school for working people who had families and wanted to go back to school to better their circumstances. Due to extenuating circumstances I didn't finish college, but my husband encouraged me to return to school while he continued in his Air Force career.It was pretty easy to get started. Soon I was in a class room and feeling like I finally had a chance to do something worthwhile. Everything was wonderful until I had to miss four days of school to have my baby. The student advisor called while I was in labor to tell me that my student status had been revoked because I had missed four consecutive days. I had told them previously that I would need at least two weeks off because my due date was coming up. "That's too long. You'll have to drop and re enroll." What was I supposed to do? Give birth to Jesse in class?There were some complications during labor that left me in pretty bad shape (thankfully Jesse was alright). The doctor gave me a note stating that I required eight weeks to heal properly, six of those weeks being mandatory bedrest. When I tried to negotiate with the school to get back into classes, they just demanded immediate payment on my student loans. Either all $3,000 of it right then or $450 a month so I could start classes again. All was said with a smile as they laid out the "options" for me. They even encouraged me to beg my family for money. Considering the demographic they claim to be helping, how could they expect students to instantly meet that demand?Now I am at a loss. Brown Mackie representatives call and email on a regular basis, demanding that I pay for classes that I wasn't even allowed to finish. I'm actually here looking for help. Do I have any protection through title IX? 

I served as General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services when Patricia Roberts Harris was President Carter"s Secretary and before the Education jurisdiction was transferred to the newly established Department.  As a result, our role in Title 9 was to address the fact that while the statute had been enacted, the implementing regulations had lingered in HHS (previously, Health, Education and Welfare) for some time.The delay was caused largely by the tremendous opposition to it.  University Presidents and coaches opposed implementing the rules and lobbied Congress extensively to stop or slow them down. Secretary Harris discussed the matter with the President who had also been lobbied by the "It will kill Football as we know it" crowd and to some useful extent, women's advocacy organizations.  The President approved the Secretary's request to issue.Two of the Secretary's advisers expressed grave concern about taking on this very controversial issue…she decided to do it.  We held a press briefing which was widely attended.Secretary Harris told the press office:  "I will make the announcement and Jodie will answer the questions"I have always been very proud of the role we played…The change it make in creating such significant new opportunities for women was incredible. Secretary Harris was the first African American to head a major department, first at HUD and then at HHS.  She was remarkable in many ways and I was honored to serve with her.