Sex Discrimination

See also: Court Cases, Discrimination

Jo Carol Nesset-Sale (formerly LaFleur) was a teacher in the Cleveland public schools in the early 1970s when she became pregnant and was required to take unpaid leave. Her challenge to the district’s rules led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that such mandatory pregnancy-leave policies were unconstitutional.
Jo Carol Nesset-Sale (formerly LaFleur) was a teacher in the Cleveland public schools in the early 1970s when she became pregnant and was required to take unpaid leave. Her challenge to the district’s rules led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that such mandatory pregnancy-leave policies were unconstitutional.
Curtis Nesset
Law & Courts She Was a Teacher. She Got Pregnant. Her Case Ended Up at the Supreme Court
One of the main plaintiffs in a landmark blow against pregnancy discrimination in the workplace recalls her fight in the early 1970s and discusses how it still resonates today.
Mark Walsh, October 14, 2019
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10 min read
Gavin Grimm, a transgender student, sued his Virginia school district after being denied access to the boys’ restroom at Gloucester High School in a high-profile case on the issue. He has since graduated.
Gavin Grimm, a transgender student, sued his Virginia school district after being denied access to the boys’ restroom at Gloucester High School in a high-profile case on the issue. He has since graduated.
Steve Helber/AP
Law & Courts Courts Take Expansive View in Transgender-Rights Cases
Two recent federal court rulings add to the growing body of decisions finding legal protections for transgender students in federal antidiscrimination law.
Mark Walsh, June 5, 2018
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6 min read
Education Appeals Court Rules That Title VII Bars Sexual Orientation Bias in Employment
Ruling in the case of an Indiana community college instructor, the 7th Circuit federal appeals court holds that sex discrimination encompasses sexual orientation.
Mark Walsh, April 5, 2017
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3 min read
Gavin Grimm stands on the front porch of his home in Gloucester, Va., in 2015. The high school student, who was born female but identifies as male, says it's discriminatory to make him use the girls' room or a single-stall unisex restroom at school.
Gavin Grimm stands on the front porch of his home in Gloucester, Va., in 2015. The high school student, who was born female but identifies as male, says it's discriminatory to make him use the girls' room or a single-stall unisex restroom at school.
Steve Helber/AP
Law & Courts Schools Get Clarity on Transgender Student Restroom Access
A federal appeals court ruling that Title IX protects the rights of students to use restrooms that correspond with their gender identity could have far-reaching implications for schools.
Evie Blad, April 22, 2016
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5 min read
Thomas Lewis, an 18-year-old transgender student at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, S.D., speaks out against legislation that advocacy groups have said would discriminate against transgender people during a news conference last month in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Thomas Lewis, an 18-year-old transgender student at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, S.D., speaks out against legislation that advocacy groups have said would discriminate against transgender people during a news conference last month in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Joe Ahlquist/Argus Leader via AP
Law & Courts South Dakota Could Be First State to Restrict School Restrooms Used by Transgender Students
A bill awaiting action from the South Dakota governor would require transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match with their biological sex at birth.
Evie Blad, February 19, 2016
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6 min read
Lila Perry, second from left, a senior transgender student at Hillsboro High School in St. Louis, speaks with friends Gianna Warfel, left, Skyla Thompson and Hayley Reeves following a student walkout at the school held in both support and opposition to Perry’s request to use the girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms.
Lila Perry, second from left, a senior transgender student at Hillsboro High School in St. Louis, speaks with friends Gianna Warfel, left, Skyla Thompson and Hayley Reeves following a student walkout at the school held in both support and opposition to Perry’s request to use the girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms.
Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/AP-File
Law & Courts School Districts Confront Transgender Student Policies
Recent disputes over schools' treatment of transgender students present complicated questions for educators.
Evie Blad, November 10, 2015
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7 min read
Education Ledbetter Ruling Backs Principal's Sex-Bias, Equal-Pay Suit
An Arkansas principal's sex-discrimination and equal-pay lawsuit may proceed, thanks to the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a federal judge ruled.
Mark Walsh, October 29, 2015
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2 min read
Law & Courts Districts' Boys-Only Programs Prompt Legal Questions
Amid new efforts to improve outcomes for black and Latino boys, some civil rights advocates ask if districts are violating federal protections meant to ensure educational quality for girls.
Corey Mitchell, March 3, 2015
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5 min read
Law & Courts Major Ed-Tech Event Overhauls Code of Conduct After Troubling Accusations
Following concerns around accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, the International Society for Technology in Education has made significant changes to the code of conduct for its conference.
Benjamin Herold, June 19, 2014
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10 min read
Law & Courts Supreme Court Sides With Student in Sex-Bias Case
Title IX does not bar victims of sex discrimination in schools from pursuing claims under an older federal civil rights law, the justices rule.
Mark Walsh, January 21, 2009
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3 min read
Law & Courts Justices to Hear School Sex-Discrimination Case
The court will take up an appeal examining whether Title IX provides the exclusive legal remedy for cases of sex discrimination in public schools.
Mark Walsh, June 12, 2008
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3 min read
Education Supreme Court to Weigh School Sex-Discrimination Case
The U.S. Supreme Court announced today that it would take up an appeal examining whether Title IX provides the exclusive legal remedy for cases of sex discrimination in public schools.
Mark Walsh, June 9, 2008
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2 min read
Law & Courts Justices Turn Down Case on Mich. Sports Seasons
The U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous action on April 2 was not a ruling on the merits of the lawsuit, but it was the final buzzer in a legal contest that lasted nine years.
Mark Walsh, April 10, 2007
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3 min read
Roderick L. Jackson was fired as a high school girls' basketball coach after complaining about inequitable treatment of his team. Last week, he settled his lawsuit and was reinstated as a coach in Birmingham, Ala.
Roderick L. Jackson was fired as a high school girls' basketball coach after complaining about inequitable treatment of his team. Last week, he settled his lawsuit and was reinstated as a coach in Birmingham, Ala.
File photo by Allison Shelley/Education Week
Law & Courts Coach in Title IX Case Wins Reinstatement
A high school basketball coach who was at the center of an important U.S. Supreme Court decision on sex discrimination and retaliation under the federal Title IX law reached a settlement last week with the Birmingham, Ala., school board.
Andrew Trotter, December 5, 2006
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1 min read
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