Judge rules Title IX sex discrimination includes sexual orientation

By John Mack Freeman

U.S. District Court Judge Dean Pregerson ruled in Layana White and Haley Videckis v. Pepperdine University “that sexual orientation discrimination is not a category distinct from sex or gender discrimination.” The two students have sued the school saying that they were mistreated by their basketball coach at the Christian university because they were lesbians.

Some observers have noted that this appears to be the first time that Title IX has been used in this way to protect the rights of people based on their sexual orientation. Via Advocate.com:

According to legal filings, the women were repeatedly interrogated by their coach as to whether there were any lesbian or bisexual basketball players on their team. They were asked whether they slept with their beds pushed together and whether they went on vacations together, and also asked to provide gynecological records.

They filed a lawsuit against the school in 2013 alleging discrimination. White claimed the stress of discrimination caused her to suffer from severe depression and even attempt suicide.

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