CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Thursday marked the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX Amendment of the Higher Education Act, more commonly known as Title IX.
The civil rights law – first introduced by Indiana Senator Birch Bayh in 1971 – was enacted to prevent discrimination in all United States schools and educational programs which receive federal government funding. The 37 word law states:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, 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.”
Patsy T. Mink – the first woman of color and the first Asian-American woman to be elected to congress – co-authored the amendment. On October 29, 2022, just one month after Mink’s passing, the law was renamed as the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.
US Senator and West Virginia native Shelley Moore Capito took time Thursday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the momentous act.
“Today marks the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, which provides historic protection and opportunity to women across the country,” reads the Thursday morning statement from Capito. “As the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from WV, I will always fight for equal opportunity for women and girls in our state.”
Just prior, Capito offered prayers for family members of those involved in the horrific and fatal Wednesday night crash of the Bell UH-1B helicopter, as well as for first responders on the scene.
The tragic event claimed the lives of the six people aboard when the rotorcraft went down near Route 17 at around 5:00pm. More information on the grievous incident can be found here.
Further information on Title IX and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights can be found here.