When the federal government opens a Title IX investigation, it is easy to assume that private litigation is not far behind. A May 2026 Eighth Circuit decision says that assumption is worth rethinking. Federal enforcement and private lawsuits operate under different rules, and planning for one does not mean you are prepared for the other. […]
Last Monday, a federal judge approved a landmark settlement in higher education: Title IX financial aid obligations are enforceable, they carry real financial consequences, and the era of waiting to be caught is over. San Diego State University (SDSU) agreed to pay $300,000 in class-wide damages to female student-athletes who competed between 2018 and 2025, […]
On April 6, 2026, the ED’s Office for Civil Rights rescinded provisions of resolution agreements from prior administrations involving six institutions: Cape Henlopen School District (DE), Delaware Valley School District (PA), Fife School District (WA), La Mesa-Spring Valley School District (CA), Sacramento City Unified (CA), and Taft College (CA). This is a meaningful development for […]
College athletics have been in a state of legal and financial upheaval for several years now. The Supreme Court’s unanimous 2021 ruling in NCAA v. Alston struck down the NCAA’s restrictions on education-related compensation for student athletes as a violation of federal antitrust law, and opened the floodgates to a wave of challenges that have […]
Last week, we looked at how shifting federal interpretations of Title IX are creating retroactive compliance exposure for schools. This week, we’re watching that tension escalate into something more complex: open institutional pushback. And while that resistance may feel principled or even necessary depending on where your school sits, it carries its own significant compliance […]
Title IX compliance never stands still. Today, we are highlighting two areas where enforcement and guidance are particularly dynamic: athletics and resolution agreements. Understanding these developments is key to being prepared and confident in your practices. Athletics Recent developments are making athletics the defining issue in education compliance right now. In just the past few […]
Esports are no longer a niche activity tucked away in student rec centers or dorm rooms. Competitive gaming is a billion-dollar global industry, and higher education has taken notice. In recent years, many colleges and universities have launched esports programs, moving from informal gaming clubs to competitive teams with school funding, coaches, and even scholarships. […]
The new academic year is starting for many of you, and there has been constant development in the Title IX space over the summer. Specifically, there have been cuts to the Department of Education (ED) and Office for Civil Rights, litigation challenges, Supreme Court rulings, and paused funding. If you are wondering what that means […]
A landmark NCAA settlement is making headlines again. This time the news is about how it might violate Title IX. On June 11, 2025, eight female Division I athletes appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging the allocation of back-pay in the House v. NCAA antitrust settlement. The $2.8 billion settlement pool is […]
On June 25, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Title IX press release announcing it found the California Department of Education (CDE) and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) in violation of Title IX. The violation is for failing to “ensure equal opportunities for girls” in athletics by allowing male athletes to […]
