WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Katherine Clark (MA-5) released the following statement on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which states, “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 education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

“For fifty years, Title IX has guaranteed gender equity in athletics and created a legal recourse for sexual harassment on campuses. In the decades since its enactment, Title IX has also been used to protect pregnant and LGBTQ+ students and educators from discrimination. This landmark legislation has transformed the lives and possibilities of generations of women, and as we celebrate its impact on our country, we must recommit ourselves to the fight for true equity.”

Assistant Speaker Clark is the author of the Exposing Discrimination in Higher Education Act, legislation that would require universities that receive federal funds to apply for a waiver from the Department of Education before allowing them to claim religious exemption from Title IX protections for students. The bill also requires the Department of Education and the exempted higher education institutions to prominently display the waiver on their websites in order to inform students of their beliefs before arriving on campus. 

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