Moreover, Duke argued that because of the contact-sports clause, no violation of law had occurred. But what really doomed Duke in the eyes of the jury were the comments of Goldsmith to Mercer in August 1995. This type of verbal discrimination at educational institutions that receive federal funds is outlawed under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. In post-conviction comments, they noted that while she may not have been good enough to play, it was obvious that she was treated differently than all the men. There are several implications from the Mercer decision that will be instructive for college athletic teams in the future.
Universities lose their legal protection under the contact-sports clause when they do otherwise.
Nearly a decade later, Goldsmith's comments validate that assertion. He and Thomas are now the twin poster boys in the struggle to eradicate gender bias from America's institutions. Click here and join the discussion in the Reginald Shareef folder. Reginald Shareef Reginald Shareef is a professor in the Political Science Department at Radford University with a specialty in Public Administration, Leadership and Organization Change. He has long been involved in public policy issues in Roanoke that range from public schools to urban renewal.