Title IX Sports Lawsuit Lives on in Pennsylvania
A class action sports lawsuit filed against Slippery Rock University was recently settled when the school agreed to make additional improvements. The women sued three years ago after the school eliminated eight sports, including three women’s sports. The lawsuit settled in 2007, but remains in the news.
The athletes this year were forced to ask the court to reopen the lawsuit because of alleged “disparities” in women’s facilities:
"There was a huge, huge discrepancy between this amazing stadium the boys played baseball in and this rutted field the girls played softball on," said Abbe Fletman, one of the attorneys who represented the female students.
Finally, the school has relented and agreed to upgrade its facilities and make a few additional changes. In my opinion, the allegation of the school being “deeply hostile to women athletes” makes it sound like the school has a long way to go before the situation is fully and finally resolved beyond the cosmetic and tangible changes.
