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Equity in Education
Activities and Accomplishments:
Litigation
In pioneering efforts to prevent expansion of single-sex education and resulting inequities for female students, the Women's Law Project partnered with the American Civil Liberties Union in Newberg v. School District of Philadelphia, in which the 1983 court enjoined the exclusion of girls from Philadelphia's prestigious Central High School as unconstitutional.
Impact on Public Policy
- In 2006, the WLP, along with the Education Law Center, the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania issued a joint communication to the Philadelphia School Reform Commission to oppose the Southwest Philadelphia Academy for Boys Charter Application. Approval of a single-sex charter school violates Pennsylvania Charter School Law, and the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions.
- On October 17, 2005, the WLP communicated concern to the Philadelphia School District and the Philadelphia School Reform Commission about single-sex education support and/or expansion.
- In2004, the WLP submitted comments at the federal level opposing proposed changes to Title IX of the Amendments of 1972 regulations that sought to expand opportunities for single-sex education. The WLP argued that the Department of Education’s proposals violated applicable constitutional standards, which would lead to open-ended, unregulated opportunities for discrimination in education.
- In addressing the rights of young women and girls in education, the WLP has targeted female student safety and treatment. In 2004, we co-sponsored a Pittsburgh conference, Title IX: Gender Equity in Education: The Unfinished Agenda, at which our executive director developed discussion around sexual assault on college campuses, lax collegiate attitudes regarding sexual harassment policies, and the need to educate students on accessing information concerning sexual harassment.
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