Quote:
Originally Posted by preciousjeni
I was hoping YOU would comment! Thanks for the information. So, does that mean these organizations aren't considered traditional "social" organizations?
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If you mean are they "social" within the meaning of Title IX, then yes they are social.
Quote:
Originally Posted by preciousjeni
Weren't little sister/little brother organizations disbanded, in large part, because they threatened Title IX exemption? If you allow a person of the opposite sex into a single-sex organization, you will lose the exemption altogether.
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No, I don't think they'd lose the exemption, although practically it might not matter anymore.
I've heard this before -- that little sister/brother organizations were basically banned because of Title IX concerns, but I'm not sure how true that is. I think risk management was a much larger concern. (My fraternity classifies the policy banning auxilliary groups as a risk management policy.) There may have been some concern that little sister/brother groups constituted some kind of
de facto "co-edness," and that if someone wanted to sue they might have a foothold, but I think that's unrelated to Title IX.
Title IX forbids schools (primary, secondary or college) that receive federal funds (including student aid) from recognizing or sponsoring single-sex organizations. There is a specific exemption for the "membership practices . . . of a social fraternity or social sorority which is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of Title 26, the active membership of which consists primarily of students in attendance at an institution of higher education." (Other organizations, like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are also exempt.)
This exemption means that social fraternities and sororities are not
required to be co-ed, that they do not have to choose between single-sex status and school recognition. Professional fraternities did face such a choice -- go co-ed or go away, basically.
But I don't see why a social fraternity cannot choose to be co-ed and still be a social fraternity.
Hybrid Mode
