V is for Victory...
and so is IX!

WLP Title IX Partners

Gender Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics: Where Does Pennsylvania Stand?

"Women outnumber men on Pennsylvania's college campuses but schools continue to pour more resources into men's sports than women's sports," stated report author David S. Cohen, staff attorney at WLP.

"Athletic participation provides female students with a wealth of educational, physical, and mental benefits," said Carol Tracy, Executive Director of the Women's Law Project. "By shortchanging their women's athletic programs, Pennsylvania's schools are shortchanging their female students in ways that affectthe entirety of their lives."

For more information see:

Press Release

Executive Summary,

Full Version of Report

David Cohen's statement

Equity in Athletics

V is for Victory...and So is IX!

On Monday, January 26, Philadelphia’s most recognizable “Football Mom,” Wilma McNabb, mother of Philadelphia Eagle’s all-pro Donovan McNabb, helped level the playing field for girls in Pennsylvania. McNabb joined the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Women’s Law Project, and women’s sports pioneers to celebrate the V Is for Victory. So is IX campaign in Pennsylvania. The goal of this campaign is to increase athletic opportunities for middle and high school aged girls in the Commonwealth.

Picture will show: Wilma McNabb (center) is joined by Coach Lurline Jones, Terri Lakowski, Women’s Sports Foundation Public Policy Director, Christine Shimel, 2008 Pennsylvania High School State Golf Champion, Carol Tracy, Executive Director of the Women's Law Project, and Carol Bower, 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist.

See Campaign Overview (PDF version)
Suburban One Sports coverage

In addition to being a football mom, Wilma McNabb is long-time sports advocate and the Executive Director of the Donovan McNabb Foundation. McNabb loves providing opportunities to girls and each summer the Foundation runs a football program, which is filled with both boys and girls. Now more than ever, McNabb wants to fight for equality. “Now that I have granddaughters, I want them to have everything that’s out there that was there for my sons. That’s why I am stressing equality for young women and girls. I wish for my granddaughters to play whatever sport they want to play, be it football or whatever. I think they should have the opportunity.”

As part of V is for Victory. So is IX, the Women's Law Project will work with student athletes, parents, school administrators and coaches to help them take a greater role in making gender equity in athletics a reality in their schools. For assistance in addressing inequities in your schools please call or send an email:

TitleIXPaGirls@womenslawproject.org or call 215-928-9801 for Eastern Pennsylvania; ask for Billie Schnall, Staff Attorney or Terry Fromson, Managing Attorney. For Western Pennsylvania call 412-227-0301 and ask for Sue Frietsche.

To learn more about the work of the Women's Law Project and what we are doing to make gender equity in athletics a reality in our schools see our accomplishments below.

The V is for Victory. So is IX campaign includes free educational workshops for students, parents, coaches and administrators so they can learn more about Title IX and identify inequality in their school athletic programs. The workshops also provide free materials and Title IX guides as well as a “Grade Your School” Report Card for both students and parents. To schedule a workshop in your community, or to ask questions about gender equity in athletics, please contact Women’s Sports Foundation local Public Policy Officer Sheila Murphy at SMurphy@WomensSportsFoundation.org.

Through V is for Victory. So is IX., we can all help level the playing field and give opportunities young girls in Pennsylvania. To learn more about the campaign, visit Vis4Victory.org. Youth and teen girls can learn and participate actively on a site.

To learn what you can do about gender equity, take a look at the video to see how some school athletic programs shortchange girls!

Vis4Victory.org/Girls from GoGirlWorld on Vimeo.

Other Resources

Women's Sports Foundation

California Women's Law Project

ACLU of Washington State

Fair Play Now (National Women's Law Center)

WLP Accomplishments

Women’s Law Project has engaged in extensive advocacy and litigation to both expand the opportunities available to girls and women in intercollegiate and interscholastic athletics and eliminate discriminatory treatment. Our past work includes: obtaining improvements in equipment, coaching and facilities for the University of Pennsylvania’s female athletes; successfully litigating the discriminatory assignment of female athletic officials to interscholastic basketball games; assisting Pennsylvania parents and coaches win additional opportunities for female students in two Pennsylvania school districts; eliminating pregnancy discrimination in athletics at Sacred Heart University; and obtaining a preliminary injunction and settlement agreement to provide female athletes at Slippery Rock University with equal opportunity and treatment. The WLP also published a comprehensive analysis of Title IX compliance data for Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities using publicly available data. These records were collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Post-Secondary Education pursuant to the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act.

Comprehensive Settlement of Title IX Lawsuit Against Slippery Rock University Approved by Court

Pittsburgh, PA -- On August 8, 2007, U.S. Chief District Judge Donetta Ambrose approved the class action settlement of the Title IX lawsuit filed against Slippery Rock University. The settlement is aimed at achieving gender equity in an athletic program that has short-changed female athletes for decades (go to Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Consent Order). See more information about the Slippery Rock case.

WLP Joins with Senator Connie Williams to Level the Playing Field for Girls and Boys in Middle and High School

As the nation celebrates the 35th anniversary of Title IX, a new poll reveals that nearly a quarter of Amerians know of a specific recent incident of gender discrimination in athletics.

On June 20, 2007, the Women's Law Project joined State Senator Connie Williams at the state Capitol in Harrisborg as she unveiled legislation (SB985) to address reporting requirements at the middle and high school levels. "While Pennsylvania's colleges and universities have to report on an annual basis their athletic participation data by gender, middle and high schools are not held to the same standard," said Carol Tracy, Executive Director of WLP. (See full press release.) Terry Fromson, Managing Attorney for WLP, was present at the press conference and issued a statement.

Kemether v. PIAA and Del Val 96 - CV-6986 (E.D. PA. filed Oct. 1996)

WLP represented Noreen Kemether, a basketball official who was denied access to boys’ varsity games in blatantly discriminatory terms, in litigation against the state athletic association and a Delaware County basketball league aimed at establishing equal opportunity for women on the basketball court. A pre-trial settlement with Del Val in July 1998 committed Del Val to assigning at least five boys’ and five girls’ varsity games to the plaintiff annually for seven years and instituting a gender neutral system of evaluating officials and assigning games. Following a December, 1998 jury verdict in plaintiff’s favor and appeal by PIAA, a full settlement with the PIAA was reached. Decisions reported at 15 F. Supp. 2d 740 (Aug. 6, 1998), 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17331 (Nov. 8, 1999); 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17326, (Nov. 8, 1999). When a female official contacted WLP in 2004 complaining that Del Val refused to assign her to boys’ varsity games, WLP filed an enforcement action, which has settled in 2005.

Title IX At Risk

On November 29, 2002, WLP submitted written testimony to the Commission on Opportunity In Athletics of The United States Secretary of Education urging the Commission to uphold existing standards for measuring athletic equity, encourage improved enforcement, and foster a community approach in which men, women and schools work together to achieve equitable opportunities for all. See Press Release

Downingtown School District

In February, 1995, WLP assisted parents and student athletes in addressing inequities in the school district’s athletics program which disproportionately provided male athletes with 27% more athletic opportunities than it provided to female athletes in the junior high program. The school district responded by adding 7th and 8th grade girls’ soccer and softball, and adding girls’ volleyball at the high school.

Women's Law Project v. University of Pennsylvania

In 1994,on behalf of female athletes, female coaches, and coaches of female sports, WLP filed a complaint against the University of Pennsylvania with the U. S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights complaining of across the board gender discriminatory treatment in athletics. The complaint was settled, resulting in increased resources for women's sports at the university.

Title IX Updates

Are Schools Giving Female Athletes a Sporting Chance?

The Women's Law Project has released A Guide to Gender Equity in Athletics: Are Schools Giving Female Athletes a Sporting Chance? This guide is designed to help students, athletes, administrators, athletic directors, coaches, and parents understand the rights students have under Title IX, a federal law that requires schools to give young women and girls equal opportunities and benefits in their sports programs. This guide explains the legal requirements of Title IX and Pennsylvania laws that apply to athletic equity, provides tools for evaluating gender equity in your school's athletic program, and suggests strategies for addressing any unfair treatment you find. You can get a PDF version of report here.

Pittsburgh Pubic Schools Authorizes Gender Equity Review of High School Athletics

Calling it "a model of progressive leadership that should make every Pittsburgh resident proud," WLP Senior Staff Attorney, Susan Frietsche praised the Pittsburgh School Board for authorizing a comprehensive audit of Pittsburgh high school athletics to ensure that the district is in compliance with Title IX, the federal law requiring gender equity in federally funded educaitonal programs. See full press release.

WLP Files Title IX Complaint Against New Hope-Solebury School District

After over a year of inaction by the New Hope-Solebury School District to rectify it’s acknowledged inequities in athletics, the Women’s Law Project filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights asserting Title IX violations by the School District. Under Title IX, school districts that receive federal funding are prohibited from engaging in sex discrimination. The WLP complaint alleges violations in both the number of athletic opportunities offered and the relative treatment of the teams.

V is for Victory... and so is IX!