Carrie will be all over the latest Title IX rulings, since that's a pet topic of hers, but it turns out our very own John Cooney was the lawyer involved! What a great win! Congrats -- and thank you!
Supreme Court Ruling Protects Title IX Whistleblowers The Associated PressA landmark gender-equity law protects whistleblowers who accuse academic institutions of sex discrimination, the Supreme Court said Tuesday, ruling that coaches and teachers may sue for retaliation if they are fired for complaining on behalf of others.
The 5-4 decision sides with Alabama high school coach Roderick Jackson, who said his girls' basketball team received worse treatment than the boys' team. It is a victory for women's advocates who say the legal protection will prompt reports of bias that would otherwise go unsaid or unheeded.
Congress intended to allow whistleblower suits when it passed the Title IX law, justices said.
Supreme Court expands Title IX protectionsPosted by Emily at March 29, 2005 06:48 PM
Chicago TribuneWASHINGTON - (KRT) - When Roderick Jackson started coaching girls' basketball at his Alabama high school, it didn't take long for him to start complaining about how his players were treated worse than the boys' team.
In letter after letter, he complained. The girls practiced in an old, unheated gymnasium while the boys' teams used a new, heated gym. The girls couldn't take the school bus to games at other schools unless the boys were playing there. Even the equipment - not a great expense in basketball - was inadequate. One year, Jackson said, the school gave the girls' team only two basketballs for its practices and games.
Instead of improving the conditions for the girls, however, the Birmingham Board of Education fired him as coach, Jackson said. When he filed a lawsuit alleging that he was a victim of retaliation, the school board argued he had no case under federal law, and lower courts agreed.
But in a 5-4 decision Tuesday, the Supreme Court came down strongly on Jackson's side, paving the way for his lawsuit against the school board and opening the courthouse door to others who say they see unlawful sex discrimination in schools.