UPenn Faces Title IX Investigation as Male Students Turn the Tables

The National Coalition for Men (NCFM) filed a Title IX federal civil rights complaint against the University of Pennsylvania, and it couldn’t have happened to a better university. The complaint contends twenty-two groups have been discriminatory towards male Penn students. Also, they say “[t]he University of Pennsylvania is in violation of Title IX because it offers resources, funding, fellowships, and scholarships that are available to women only, even though men are a minority both nationwide [42%] and at the University of Pennsylvania [47%, incoming class of 2021].”

The Department of Education is on the case and attempting to determine if a full Title IX investigation should ensue.

Finally, we are using their rules against them.  Here are more details:

The first group listed is the Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health. Kursat Christoff Pekgoz, who helped the NCFM draft the complaint against Penn and has previously filed successful complaints against Yale and the University of Southern California, told The UPenn Statesman that the Center’s “asymmetry in terms of funding medical research on the basis of sex was a significant factor” in choosing to file a complaint against groups at Penn. The complaint suggests either creating an equivalent center for men or changing the name of this center to a gender-neutral title.

The University of Pennsylvania Women’s Center was also targeted in the complaint. The NCFM alleges the Women’s Center is discriminatory in its “overall effect.” They assert the Center has a discriminatory name, offers resources only to women, and has only female participants and administrators. These different features combine to create a “hostile environment against men.” Further the NCFM claims the Women’s Center’s anti-discrimination clause is “hollow and illusory.”

Wow.

And check out the other groups Penn funds that are gender specific and exclusive:

Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (GSWS) department, Wharton Women in Business, Women Against Abuse, Penn Graduate Women in Science and Engineering, and on and on.  While normally, I’m fine with groups being created that are single gender, it isn’t fair for the university to dismantle men’s groups while actually funding the women’s groups.

If they truly stop discrimination at the universities, things will work out fine.  Right now there is a terrible, reverse discrimination scheme in place, with young men bearing the brunt.  Our boys and men are paying a price, which will play out over time. 

We need to reverse this trend.  Suing universities that practice discrimination against males is a good start.

Hat Tip: UPenn Statesman

Image Credit: Wikipedia