Title IX
Title IX is a section of the Civil Rights Act which mandates that no one "be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance" on account of sex. 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a).
Title IX is controversial not for what it says, but how it is applied. Under informal regulations adopted by the Democratic Administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, a gender proportionality test may be applied to schools that receive any federal money concerning. This test causes these institutions to attempt to have the same proportion of boys and girls on sports teams as are enrolled in the school, regardless of interest in sports. Some seek to apply this proportionality test to math and science programs also.
Courts have misapplied Title IX to allow massive jury awards whenever a coach is let go or not rehired. For example, a California trial court awarded over $5.8 million to an ex-volleyball coach because she claimed that a state college did not renew her coaching contract "because of her perceived sexual orientation and her speaking up on behalf of female athletes."[1]
Over 400 men's sports teams have been eliminated by the quota-based application of Title IX, including over 170 wrestling teams.[2]