U.S. Department of Education General Counsel Brian Jones today issued a statement regarding the department's motion to dismiss [pdf 175K] a suit brought by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and other athletic associations. The brief was filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Department of Justice filed the motion on behalf of the Department of Education (ED).

Jones' statement follows:

"In our motion, we make three procedural arguments: (1) that the plaintiffs lack standing to file their lawsuit because the loss of athletic programs alleged by the plaintiffs is not redressable by the court, (2) that the plaintiffs' claims against ED are barred because the institutions that plaintiffs allege to have improperly eliminated men's athletic programs, not ED, are the proper targets of the lawsuit, and (3) that the statute of limitations has expired with respect to the plaintiffs' challenges to ED's 1980 Title IX regulations and its 1979 policy interpretation. Today's filing does not address the underlying merits of the plaintiff's claims."

"The administration strongly supports Title IX. Title IX has opened up opportunities for young women in both academics and sports. We believe we should strive to expand opportunities for women in a way that does not diminish existing men's teams."

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