Cynthia Cooper and Ted Leland, co-chairs of the Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics, today invited members of the general public to attend and/or speak at the commission's two-day meeting on Title IX athletics in Atlanta, Aug. 27 and 28.

"The commission will benefit from hearing a wide range of viewpoints on Title IX," said Cooper.

Leland added: "We encourage interested citizens to join us and share their experiences with Title IX athletics so we can listen and learn."

The meeting in Atlanta is the first in a series of regional Town Hall meetings, and will be held at the Wyndham Atlanta, 160 Spring St., N.W. The meeting will include panels of invited speakers and comments from the general public on various topics addressed in the commission's charter.

The Town Hall meetings are open to the public. They will start at 9 a.m. each day and begin with presentations from invited speakers. Time is reserved for comments from the general public following the presentations. These public comment sessions are from 2-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Each speaker will be permitted three to five minutes.

Those who wish to participate in the public comment period may register by email at OpportunityinAthletics@ed.gov until Thursday Aug. 22. Registrations will also be taken the morning of the event. The request should include the name of the person and/or organization to be represented, contact information, and the topic you would like to address. The department reserves the privilege of selecting individuals to ensure that a broad range of organizations and interests are represented at the hearing.

The meeting site is accessible to persons with disabilities. Individuals who need accommodations to attend should notify the commission office by Thursday, Aug. 22, by e-mail or by calling (202) 708-7417.

Those who cannot attend a meeting in person may submit written comments by e-mail at OpportunityinAthletics@ed.gov, or to the commission office at: Office of the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics, U. S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., ROB-3, Room 3060, Washington, D.C. 20202.

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige established the commission to advise him on federal standards for ensuring compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. The commission will issue a report to the secretary on whether standards for measuring equal opportunity to participate in athletics under Title IX should be revised, and if so, how.

More information can be obtained at the commission's website: http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/athletics/index.html.

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