Director of Title IX Compliance for Louisiana Tech University
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Title IX of the Education Amendments was signed into law by President Nixon on June 23, 1972. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government. The 37-word original statue reads:
“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.”
Title IX was initially written to create opportunities for women in education with its’ biggest impact being in athletics. It is one of the most important laws passed for females by Congress since women obtained the right to vote in 1920. With the inception of Title IX, the doors opened for women in all aspects of education and changed the course of women’s athletics forever. Before Title IX, women were not offered athletic scholarships and there were no women’s championships through the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It was not until the late 1970’s that the NCAA offered women’s championships. Women athletics struggled with funding facilities and equipment, and overall experiences were far less than their male counterparts. Women did not make up much of collegiate athletics due to the lack of resources. Today, there are more than 200,000 women athletes in college which accounts for 44% of all college athletes.
Louisiana Tech University’s trailblazer in women’s sports is Mary Kay Hungate. Mary Kay serves as the Deputy Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator for the University. She has been an integral part of Louisiana Tech University for over 30 years and has proven to be vital in the emergence of the University’s programs on the playing field and the classroom. Mary Kay joined the Louisiana Tech staff in 1985 as an assistant women’s basketball coach. In 1990, Mary Kay created the Louisiana Tech Athletic Academic Center program. Her professional career began as Women’s Sports Coordinator and Head Coach in volleyball, basketball, and softball at Illinois’ Carl Sandburg Junior College where she guided the basketball team to a mark of 80-22 and included an 11th place finish in the 1976 NJCAA national tournament. In 1985 she was named USA Today National Coach of the Year. Mary Kay attributes these opportunities to hard work and the impact of Title IX.
With Title IX’s immediate effects to open educational opportunities to women, we observe visible benefits in classrooms – women are studying in areas where they were once all but shut out such as medical, dental, and law schools; boardrooms where men and women work together in management and other areas to solve problems, as well as fields of science and engineering, creating innovations throughout labs – curriculum – all aspects rarely seen on a daily basis.
Society has evolved over the last 50 years. Title IX, too, has made changes, to broaden the scope, in order to meet current needs. The federal law has been legally interpreted over the years to include protections for not only men but all genders; expanding to include sexual harassment and sexual misconduct as well as many elements of the LGBTQ+ communities in their struggle for equity. Ultimately, Title IX provides protection and support for everyone in our society.
In this 50th year of Title IX, let us celebrate by committing to continued assurance that the University remains in compliance with those federal mandates. We want to continue to create a more equitable future for all in education. Every single aspect of education is included in Title IX. It is more than just Sports. It is equality in Education.
Resources:
CBS Sports:
The Wall Street Journal:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/women-college-sports-ncaa-aiaw-11617422325
U.S. Department of Education:
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html, https://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/us-department-education-confirms-title-ix-protects-students-discrimination-based-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity
Women’s Sports Foundation:
Mortissa Harvey serves as the Director of Title IX Compliance for Louisiana Tech University. Harvey comes to Louisiana Tech University from Atlanta Technical College, where she served as chair of Student Disciplinary Committee Hearings and program chair for Criminal Justice. She was the Title IX Decision Maker for the college while helping teach Atlanta’s next generation of law enforcement professionals. Prior to her transition to education, Harvey worked 11 years in the criminal justice system and has been a Certified Georgia Peace Officer for over 20 years.
Harvey is a native of Bonita, LA and is a 1995 graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She earned her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Clark Atlanta University and is pursuing her doctorate in Higher Education Administration.
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