PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Rebecca Stewart
Telephone: 513-479-3335
Email: info@saveservices.org
145 Universities Under Federal Investigation for Sex Discrimination Against Male Students
WASHINGTON / May 27, 2020 – A total of 145 colleges and universities around the country are currently under investigation by the federal Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for allegations of sex discrimination against male students. The investigations are targeting some of the most prestigious and largest institutions of higher education around the country.
On January 7, 2020, OCR opened an investigation against Harvard University for its support of seven sex-discriminatory programs. These programs include the Harvard College Women’s Leadership Awards, Graduate Women in Science and Engineering, and the Women in Global Health LEAD Fellowship. The LEAD Fellowship advertises its program with this uncommon description, “Learn, Engage, Advance, Disrupt.” (1) (OCR Complaint No. 01-19-2203)
Ohio State University boasts a total enrollment of 68,262 students, with female students outnumbering males. Despite this fact, OSU offers zero male-specific scholarships and 10 scholarships for female students (2). OCR initiated this case on May 18, 2020. (OCR Complaint No. 15-20-2074)
Community colleges are being investigated, as well. On April 22, the OCR launched a probe of Portland Community College. The Complaint by the SAVE Title IX Equity Project identified 11 scholarships designated for female students, and only one scholarship for male students. The College’s student demographics are 45.9% male and 54.1% female (3). (OCR Complaint No. 10-20-2081).
Disparities in the numbers of sex-specific scholarships can be surprisingly large (4). Auburn University, for example, offers 67 female-only scholarships, and only one scholarship for male students. (OCR Complaint No. 04-20-2092).
Title IX is the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools. The Title IX implementing regulation states, “no person shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training, or other education program or activity operated by a recipient which receives Federal financial assistance….” (5)
The listing of all 145 institutions is available online (6). The number of universities under investigation is expected to climb as OCR considers dozens of other Title IX complaints that have been filed in recent weeks.
Allegations of sex discrimination have garnered widespread media attention (7). SAVE urges college legal counsel to provide stronger oversight to Title IX Coordinators, who are responsible for assuring compliance with Title IX requirements and minimizing the institutional burdens of responding to a federal Title IX investigation.
Links:
- https://globalhealth.harvard.edu/women-gh-lead-fellowship/womenleadgh
- http://enrollmentservices.osu.edu/report.pdf
- https://www.collegetuitioncompare.com/edu/209746/portland-community-college/enrollment/#gender-block
- http://www.saveservices.org/equity/scholarships/
- https://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/reg/ocr/edlite-34cfr106.html#S8
- http://www.saveservices.org/equity/ocr-investigations/
- http://www.saveservices.org/equity/145
Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is leading the national policy movement for fairness and due process on campus: www.saveservices.org