According to the federal law encompassing Title IX, any discrimination based on sex in a federally funded activity or education program is strictly prohibited. Any violation of this law invites strict action against an educational institution. But how is it determined that a school successfully abides by such regulations? This determination is done with the help of a ‘three-prong’ test. The court considers these three factors while evaluating the school and speculating whether the concerned institution has accommodated the athletic interests of both males and females. If deprived of a proportionate accommodation, one can sue the institution by hiring a knowledgeable California Title IX attorney.
Understanding The Three Prongs:
The three factors used to determine if the institution has adequately considered the accommodation of equal athletic opportunities for male and female students are named the ‘three prongs.’ However, the school need not satisfy all but only one among them as per federal law. All these three prongs are mentioned below:
Proportionality Of The Enrollment:
The first prong inspects whether there is a proportionality between the total number of enrollments of both sexes in the athletic program organized by the institution and the total strength of the student body. For instance, if the proportion of male and female students in the institution is 1:1, but the enrollment of females in athletics is only 30%, it would not satisfy the prong.
Expansion In Athletics Programme:
Often institutions may have a disproportionate ratio of male and female students, restricting them from satisfying the first throng. Here comes the importance of the second throng, which is that the school or the university must provide satisfactory evidence that they are working hard to expand the scope of the athletic program concerning the female that would serve the interest of the particular gender. This opens a scope for the institutions that failed to comply with the first throng to uphold considerable efforts in working towards a proportional athletic representation.
Lack Of Interest In Athletics:
Another prong is that if the school can provide evidence and show a lack of interest among the female population of the institution in participating in extended athletic programs, they will be considered in compliance with Title IX.
Final Thoughts:
Along with this, the institutions should also provide equal access to the various types of assistance and the facilities that the athletes deserve, irrespective of their gender. If one has been deprived of equal access, one can sue the institution by seeking help from an attorney.
