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University of Saint Joseph Women's Leadership Center Hosts "Title IX: 37 Words for Equity and Justice"

West Hartford, CT (10/28/2022) — To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, the Women's Leadership Center at the University of Saint Joseph hosted a dynamic event that featured a panel of women in sport, media, and law who discussed clips from the ESPN four-part docuseries 37 Words. There are 37 words in Title IX, the 1972 amendment passed by Congress to forbid sex discrimination in programs receiving Federal funds: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." After a short networking event, the program moved into Hoffman Auditorium to screen clips from the film and hear from the distinguished panelists and moderators including:

Donna de Varona, H'98, Olympic Gold Medalist in Swimming, Activist, Television Sportscaster

Leander Dolphin, Managing Partner, Shipman & Goodwin LLP

Clare Smith Marash, Producer, 37 Words

Carol Stiff, President, Stiff Sports Media Consulting, LLCThe panel also answered questions from an audience that included professionals from throughout Greater Hartford and both female and male USJ student-athletes. Panelist de Varona shared a cautionary tale about a recent case in Hawaii that has turned into a class-action lawsuit. She said:

"If we don't have the administrators and the schools step up and have the enforcement officers make sure that Title IX is enforced, we're going to have a battleground that will continue for the next 50 years. Title IX has been the most empowering civil rights law as it relates to education in our country. It's unleashed the potential of millions of women to find their places in the courtroom, in the board rooms, and on the playing fields of America, and we need to protect and cherish that."

The four-part docuseries is now part of the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

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Olympic Gold Medalist, Activist, and TV Sportscaster Donna de Varona, H’98, joins USJ Athletic Director Amanda Devitt and some members of the USJ swim team.

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