Supreme Court to Hear Case on Title IX Employee Discrimination Claims

The Supreme Court announced Monday it will hear a case determining if employees of a federally funded school may sue for sex discrimination under Title IX. The high court granted review of Crowther v. Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in its orders list.

The case will be added to the oral argument schedule for the term beginning in October. The dispute stems from two sex discrimination claims brought under Title IX. One was filed by MaChelle Joseph, a women’s basketball coach at Georgia Tech. The other was filed by Thomas Crowther, an art professor at Augusta University.

Joseph alleged that the women’s basketball program received fewer resources than the men’s program. She said she was fired after raising those concerns. Crowther was fired after a student filed a sexual harassment allegation against him. He claims the university treated him differently during the investigation because he is a man and did not provide him a hearing.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit dismissed both cases. It ruled that Title IX does not provide an implied right of action for sex discrimination in employment.

Crowther petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the 11th Circuit decision. Their petition stated that the ruling undermines uniform enforcement of Title IX and affects other Spending Clause statutes. The Trump administration urged the Supreme Court to uphold the 11th Circuit ruling.

The Justice Department filing said the statutory text does not support extending the implied cause of action recognized in Cannon v. University of Chicago to employment claims. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments between October 5, 2026, and April 27, 2027.