Indianapolis Public Schools have entered into an agreement with the Department of Education to improve athletic opportunities for girls across the district. The Department's Office for Civil Rights had investigated IPS and found the district to be in violation of Title IX for failing to offer adequate number of athletic opportunities to female students. OCR's investigation revealed that girls are significantly underrepresented in athletics, allocating only 35% of athletic opportunities to female students, despite a gender breakdown that is 50/50. OCR also faulted the district for not providing equal treatment to girls' teams in terms of scheduling, facilities and equipment.
The district will now have to assess the unmet interests and abilities among female students, and increase opportunities in response to those interests. The district will also have to create a more accessible procedure for students or others to request new sports. It must "promptly" address the disparity in facilities, uniforms, and access to "prime" competition time slots. And it must regulate its booster clubs to ensure that private donations do not create disparities.
