Which case established a proportionality test for athletic opportunities under Title IX?

Which case established a proportionality test for athletic opportunities under Title IX?

• A. Virginia Slims Tour (1970)
• B. WNBA (1996)
• C. Battle of the Sexes (1973)
• D. Cohen v Brown University (1995)

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is how athletic opportunities are evaluated under Title IX, specifically through a proportionality standard. Proportionality means the share of female athletes should be substantially proportionate to the share of female students, as one way a school can show equal access under Title IX. Cohen v Brown University (1995) directly addressed this standard. The court ruled that a university cannot achieve Title IX compliance by simply eliminating men’s athletic programs to reach a balance. Instead, a school must demonstrate that women’s athletic opportunities are substantially proportionate, or that it is providing continued expansion of opportunities for women or accommodating women’s interests. This decision solidified the idea that proportionality is a formal route to evaluating equality in athletics under Title IX. The other options are important moments in women’s sports history, but they do not establish the legal test for Title IX athletic opportunities.

The main idea here is how athletic opportunities are evaluated under Title IX, specifically through a proportionality standard. Proportionality means the share of female athletes should be substantially proportionate to the share of female students, as one way a school can show equal access under Title IX.

Cohen v Brown University (1995) directly addressed this standard. The court ruled that a university cannot achieve Title IX compliance by simply eliminating men’s athletic programs to reach a balance. Instead, a school must demonstrate that women’s athletic opportunities are substantially proportionate, or that it is providing continued expansion of opportunities for women or accommodating women’s interests. This decision solidified the idea that proportionality is a formal route to evaluating equality in athletics under Title IX.

The other options are important moments in women’s sports history, but they do not establish the legal test for Title IX athletic opportunities.