MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- A newly publish list shows that 12 Tennessee schools have received or applied for exemptions to federal Title IX civil rights regulations barring discrimination on the basis of a student's sex.
The U.S. Department of Education published the list earlier this year. The information release was prompted by a request from the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ advocacy group in the United States.
Title IX prohibits schools receiving federal funds from discriminating against students based on their sex. The Obama Administration recently announced it was adding gender identity to the Title IX definition of sex discrimination.
Of the 12 Tennessee schools who’ve received or applied for an exemption, five are located in the mid-state. They include Harding Academy, Lipscomb University and Belmont University in Nashville, along with Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, and Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Of these mid-state schools, all but Bryan College received their exemptions years ago, some as far back as the 1970s. This means they likely cited religious beliefs regarding the role of women in society to discriminate against female students, not on the basis of gender identity.
Whatever the justification, Human Rights Coalition spokesperson Sarah Warbelow says any school using public funds should be transparent about the Title IX exemptions they receive.
“Students who their parents or they themselves are contributing to the payment of these schools no longer have the opportunity to attend them. What’s particularly troubling is that the students don’t know that before they apply to the school.”
Warbelow says the HRC is now asking the U.S. Department of Education to require schools to publicize that they’ve received religious exemptions so that students are aware of that fact before enrolling.
“For a lot of students and their parents, particularly who grew up in these faith traditions and their local church may be very welcoming and embracing for them, it can be a surprise that an institution affiliate with their church is less welcoming than they expected.”
Many of the schools with Title IX exemptions are associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Andrew Walker with the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission believes gay rights activists won’t stop at demanding transparency.
“The message is very clear that the Human Rights Campaign is sending is that ‘We think it’s wrong for these Christian schools to be receiving these Title IX exemptions and we’re going to do what we can – because we can’t legally punish them – we’re going to do what we can to bring a spotlight upon them.”
Walker says Christian schools should not give up access to federal funds without a fight. He also says Christians shouldn't allow themselves to be intimidated or marginalized.
“I’m not willing to allow secular liberalism to consider Christianity intolerant or bigoted, because it’s simply not. Christians care about the world, we care about our neighbors, and we have an understanding of gender and sexuality that has proven to be healthy and upon which the values of society can flourish.”
HERE ARE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORY:
- Would you like to review the HRC report on Title IX exemptions?
- Would you like to read an article by Andrew Walker on the exemptions issue?
- Would you like to review the list of schools receiving Title IX religious exemptions?
- Would you like learn more about Title IX?
- Use the links below to listen to the complete interviews with the HRC's Warbelow and the SBC's Walker.160602_hrc_title_ix_exemptions_web.mp3Interview with HRC's Sarah Warbelow