Title IX in Piedmont 50 Years Later

Many will remember reading about Julie, the American Girl doll that wanted to play basketball but was told she couldn’t because she was a girl. Fifty years ago, Title IX was created, giving girls like Julie the right to play. Today, Piedmont is taking steps to improve gender equality by emphasizing and celebrating the Title IX law.

Title IX, passed in 1972, states that any school that receives money from the government, cannot spend the money on men and women differently, in either academics and in sports. Piedmont is embracing Title IX by creating committees and hosting events to endorse and affirm the Title IX law.

The Piedmont Title IX Audit Committee, created a year ago, works to ensure PUSD is compliant with the Title IX law, said the Title IX Chairperson of the Education Speaker Series, Dana Lung. It also works to ensure Piedmont upholds equal rights, opportunities, and funding to all regardless of gender. 

“The Title IX Audit Committee and Celebration Committee are two separate entities. One is to implement change and the other is to celebrate,” said Lung.

Lung is on the Title IX Celebration Committee, which was formed this year and aims to commemorate the 50 years of Title IX.

“It is crazy that it has only been 50 years since women have started to achieve equality in sports and in school. I can’t imagine [what] life would be like today if Title IX didn’t exist,” Sophomore Eliza Hammond said.

Lung said the committee is planning to donate books about Title IX to the elementary school, Piedmont Middle School, and Piedmont High School libraries. 

 “I am glad we are trying to add books about women in sports, especially because there is such a small range of books that even talk about it,” PHS librarian Kathyrn Levenson said.

The Title IX Celebration Committee also invited speaker Kim Turner to talk about Title IX as a part of the Piedmont Education Speaker Series, Lung said. Turner was a college athlete who later became a Title IX attorney. Now, Turner is the director of a gender equality initiative and is working on specific programs about gender equality, as well as creating resources for schools and districts.

“On November 3, the Appreciating Diversity Film Series is showing two short films at Ellen Driscoll,” Lung said. “The two short films are Queen of Basketball and Mink.”

The Audit and Celebration committees are not the only groups working to achieve gender equity. The Piedmont Recreation Department is trying to promote girls’ sports. They hosted events at Witter Field called “Play Like a Girl” and “Try It Out Tuesdays.” These events introduced young girls to a variety of different sports. 

“[Adults] just talk to boys differently,” said Recreation Supervisor of the Piedmont Recreation Department Eva Phalen. “We expect them to play sports. They’re encouraged to go out and hit hard, to run fast. Our girls really aren’t. We really want to work on [telling girls] ‘you’re a rockstar for being out here and trying the sport and you’re important.’” 

Senior and Women’s Varsity Volleyball team captain Bree DeYoung is showing a student’s perspective on Title IX by presenting information to the School Board. DeYoung said one of the first times she presented was with classmates in her Honors English class, and they presented at the same time the Audit presented their findings and remedies for Title IX.

“While women have been able to achieve a lot in terms of the growth of athletics or educational achievements, there’s still more equality to be achieved,” DeYoung said.