GREAT NEWS. TulaneU Will Stop Financially Discriminating Against Male Students
In a rare federal win for male students, Tulane University has made an agreement with the federal government to stop discriminating against men by offering female-only scholarships and financial aid. OCR launched an investigation into Tulane University in August amid concerns that six of the school’s scholarships violated Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibits sex discrimination. The complaint was filed by Margaret Valois, a Virginia Title IX attorney. Four months later, Valois got unprecedented news. Tulane University quietly entered into a resolution agreement with the OCR, which dictates that Tulane is now undertaking steps to ensure that financial assistance is fairly distributed. “I am optimistic that Tulane, and other schools as well, will recognize the need for change across the board in their academic programs, and that this agreement can serve as a road map to that change,” said Valois.
While Valois is sympathetic to Title IX’s original goal of ensuring equity for women, Valois also argues that in many ways, men are not only underrepresented on college campuses, but also discriminated against in Title IX trials that violate due process. Men account for just 41% of Tulane’s student population and are less likely to graduate, so providing scholarships to the sex that is currently excelling in higher education is suspicious. “Tulane’s implementation of Title IX provides greater educational opportunities for female students than for male students. When opportunities and benefits are offered to one group because of their sex… it is patently unfair,” said Valois.
For decades, we’ve been focused on ensuring that women had opportunities to pursue their educations, and those efforts succeeded, resulting in student bodies now being around 60 percent female…the tables have turned, and this case acknowledges that reverse-discrimination exists against men in academia.” Margaret Valois.
