USF’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy presented “A Leveled Playing Field? – An Exploration of the Impact of Title IX” in partnership with Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan.
Distinguished women discuss the impact of the 1972 federal law barring discrimination based on sex.
According to justice.gov, Title IX is a “comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity” and the primary goal is to “avoid the use of federal money to support sex discrimination in education programs.”
In July, FIFA honored the U.S. women’s soccer team’s World Cup win with $2 million. In 2014, FIFA awarded Germany’s men’s soccer team with $35 million for their win.
This is just one example of inequality in competitive sports — an issue that has receded on the collegiate level since the 1972 landmark legislation Title IX.
But it still exists nonetheless.
***
On Nov. 18, USF’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) visited the St. Petersburg campus to present “A Leveled Playing Field? – An Exploration of the Impact of Title IX” in partnership with Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, USFSP associate professor and adviser to the Women Empowerment Club (WEC).
The event served as the capstone for McLauchlan’s Women and the Law course, where students in the class presented their semester-long research through poster presentations and conversation with guests before the panel discussion. Projects included sexual assault on campus, pregnant and parenting students, employment discrimination and transgender students.
“The structure of the event allowed my students to be able to share their research on Title IX with the campus community, and in particular, to spark a dialogue with my students and the community leaders of WLP,” McLauchlan said “Each of whom have an interesting story to tell.”
The Hon. Betty Castor moderated the presentation with both poise and spunk, humbly accepting the audience’s praise for her decades of accomplishments.
In 1962, Castor was appointed by President Kennedy to travel to Uganda on a diplomatic mission. While in Africa, she led two dozen African school girls in the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro — the first all-female group to do so.
For years, she served as a Florida State Senator, as well as a Florida County Commissioner, and in 1994, Castor became USF’s first female president.
Castor considers Title IX as one of her favorite topics because of the significant changes she has observed in the last 45 years of her life that resulted from the legislation.
The distinguished panelists expressed the growth that they, too, have seen in their personal and professional lives.
Claire Lessinger, a former student-athlete and USF head volleyball coach, is now the sales and director of special events for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.
Mary Milne, also a former student-athlete, was the head field hockey coach at Ohio University, and is now the vice president of guest experience for the Tampa Bay Lightning. And
Lessinger initiated the talk by describing herself as a “byproduct of Title IX”
“Sports defined me since the day I came out of the womb,” she said.
Taking the advice of a persistent, supportive coach, she went from playing basketball to showing up at a volleyball practice, just to see how she liked it.
“I held my own, I kept being given the opportunity to play. Then recruiting letters started showing up in our mailbox.”
Through all the highs and lows, Lessinger said she is glad she was able to see and experience true equality, and feels that she has been a part of Title IX’s growth.
Audience members were encouraged to ask questions and share ideas with the panel.
When asked how sports have made an impact on her life, USFSP Regional Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska revealed that she played varsity volleyball and field hockey, and that sports helped her learn to compete, persevere and “not whine.”
WEC programming coordinator Nora Khatcherian stood to ask the panel how Title IX has had an effect on LGBTQ women in sports.
Barbara Sparks McGlinchy, former USF senior associate athletics director, explained that the USF Title IX committee is fully aware and sensitive to LGBTQ issues that exist, and they try to make sure that all students, not just athletes, understand what gender equality entails.
“(Title IX) has allowed them to have a sense of acceptance,” Milne said.
Castor then posed the question, “Are we at equality? Have we achieved that?”
All the panelists agreed that women still have many challenges to overcome, mainly due to deeply-ingrained societal gender roles.
“As a society, we have not figured out how to have women live a balanced life,” Milne said.
McGlinchy reflected on her experience as a director in the USF athletics department in the ’80s — a time when she found that Title IX didn’t arrive as a result of sports. Instead, it came from the reality that women were able to reach higher professional ranks, even in the face of ongoing social inequality.
“They would say, ‘She’s too strong for a woman,’” McGlinchy said.
Castor approached the microphone and used what she called “moderator’s prerogative” to respond before the panelists.
“Just look at men’s football and basketball games,” Castor said.
She continued to say that while women have made leaps in fulfilling goals and achieving great success, they still have a ways to go, and women’s sports are still viewed vastly different than men’s.
“But I think we’ve come a long way, baby,” McGlinchy added. “A long way.”
