Ban on college sex bias is extended to staff, too

In a victory for women's rights activists, the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that laws banning sex discrimination in education protect not only students but also professors and teachers.

The justices upheld a lower court decision that found Title IX, one of the most important federal tools to combat sex bias in education, covers employment practices. Title IX, passed in 1972, was a major step by Congress to outlaw sex discrimination in federally funded private and public educational programs and activities from preschool through the university level. It allows the government to investigate alleged sex discrimination by a school and cut off funds.

The high court, however, said the government's authority to police sex discrimination applies only to specific programs within a school that receive federal funding.