Abstract

The relationship between Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause is relevant to many areas of sex discrimination law. However, most courts that have addressed cases raising both provisions as well as scholars analyzing them have not developed or understood the relationship between the two. This Article does just that and develops the theory that Title IX has broader protections from sex discrimination than the Equal Protection Clause. To reach the conclusion that Title IX offers more protection, this Article proceeds in the following way. In Part II, the Article surveys court decisions and commentary that have explicitly touched on the relationship between Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause. In Part III, the Article then develops its own analysis of the relationship between Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, using the text and history of Title IX, the jurisprudential differences between Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, and the theoretical differences between Title IX and constitutional sex discrimination law. Finally, in Part IV, the Article looks at some of the legal issues affected by an analysis of Title IX's relationship to the Equal Protection Clause and posits solutions based on the doctrinal and theoretical conclusions reached in Part III.