Where do the candidates stand on Title IX issues? 

Title IX is a federal policy, passed in 1972, that seeks to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex/gender in educational institutions that receive federal funding. California, like many states, has its own policies that expand on federal Title IX policy. In California, these policies are collectively known as the Sex Equity in Education Act. 

For the Gubernatorial Race, the following issue areas related to Title IX were assessed: 

• Does the candidate support California legislation and other measures that seek to strengthen and defend Title IX protections for all students, including pregnant & parenting students, and LGBTQ+ students?

• Does the candidate support California legislation and other measures that address sex-based discrimination based on guidance offered by the Biden Administration in 2024?

For the Congressional Races, the following issue area related to Title IX was assessed: 

• Does the candidate support defending and strengthening Title IX protections for all students?

For the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Race, the following issue area related to TItle IX was assessed: 

• Does the candidate support Title IX anti-discrimination protection for all students?

Candidates' positions on Title IX were determined based publicly available information, such as press statements, voting records (in California or Federally), and campaign materials.  All candidates were given the opportunity to respond directly to a member of AAUW California's Public Policy team. Candidates' positions on Title IX were then scored using the scale below, which gauges candidates' degree of alignment with AAUW California's public policy priorities and positions on Title IX. If candidate responses or public records show that said candidate strongly opposes a key policy or topic within a larger issue area (e.g., does not support policy that expands civil rights for all people), we have placed them in an “oppose” position to the entire issue area (e.g., protection of civil rights). See the home page for more information about our methods. 

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