Title IX: Athletics: Chicago Public Schools
(05-11-1034 & 05-89-1020)




On July 2, 2015, the Chicago Public Schools District (District) entered into a resolution agreement to resolve Title IX complaints alleging that the District subjects high school girls to discrimination on the basis of sex because the selection of interscholastic sports at the District’s high schools does not effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of members of both sexes to the extent necessary to provide equal athletic opportunity. Under the terms of the agreement with OCR, the District will provide an equal opportunity for female students to participate in the athletics programs at individual high schools. The District will add participation opportunities at a minimum of twelve high schools next year.  Thereafter, based on a comprehensive assessment of the interests and abilities of its students, the District will add new sports, levels of competition (e.g., varsity, junior varsity, sophomore, freshman) or squads each season until each high school has demonstrated compliance with Title IX. The agreement makes clear that OCR does not require or encourage the elimination of any district teams and that it is seeking action from the district that does not involve the elimination of athletic opportunities for either sex.  The agreement includes provisions for launching a new district athletics webpage; appointing a Title IX Sports Compliance Coordinator; creating a new database to document the “real-time” participation of students in the district’s interscholastic athletics program; implementing measures to ensure that the athletics directors at each high school provide current and complete information about their programs, including a requirement that the directors certify the accuracy of the data provided and possible discipline for not providing accurate and timely information; and annual Title IX training for all high school athletics directors. The agreement requires compliance to be demonstrated no later than the 2018-19 school year.

Read the Press Release | Read the Resolution Letter download files PDF (183K) | Read the Resolution Agreement download files PDF (87K)

 


Last Modified: 01/15/2020