CSC Issues National Appeal for

Petition Cites Continued Cuts in Men

Contact: Eric McErlain
202-657-5877

June 23, 2008

Washington, D.C., June 23, 2008 -- The College Sports Council and the Independent Women's Forum issued a national appeal on the 36th anniversary of the passage of Title IX calling on men and women to work together to effect "straightforward and common-sense" reform to the law's enforcement mechanism in college athletics.

The text of the petition, with lead signatories Jessica Gavora of the College Sports Council and Allison Kasic of the Independent Women's Forum, is as follows:

WHEREAS ... Today, June 23, 2008 marks the 36th anniversary of the passage of Title IX ...

WHEREAS & Men's collegiate athletic teams are being eliminated and rosters are being capped at an alarming rate in order to comply with the "proportionality" enforcement prong ...

WHEREAS & Women collegiate athletes are being robbed of their training partners, teammates and biggest supporters when men's teams are eliminated ...

WHEREAS & Straightforward and common-sense fixes to the enforcement mechanism are already available  such as a simple survey that would allow any student, male or female, to express interest and be given opportunity ...

WHEREAS ... The law's current method of enforcement is discriminating against male athletes and artificially limiting opportunities to participate ...

WHEREAS ... The current tenor of the debate over the future of Title IX sets up a zero sum contest pitting men against women that hurts the collective cause of all college athletes ...

BE IT RESOLVED ... That men and women across the country come together to discuss and implement a set of common sense reforms to Title IX enforcement that maximizes the opportunities of all college athletes regardless of gender.

WE THE UNDERSIGNED ...

Jessica Gavora, Vice President for Policy, College Sports Council
Allison Kasic, Director of the R. Gaull Silberman Center for Collegiate Studies at the Independent Women's Forum

The petition can also be found online at: http://www.petitiononline.com/csc2008/petition.html.

The College Sports Council is a national coalition of coaches, parents, athletes and alumni.

Additional Background and Sources: http://www.collegesportscouncil.org.

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