2008 Woodie Awards
Title IX issues brought back to table
By Amy Kelly
Rocket News Editor
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: News
The 12 student athletes who brought a lawsuit against Slippery Rock University on May 11, 2006, are unsure of whether the university is still in compliance with Title IX.
The students filed the original lawsuit after eight women's and men's sports teams were cut for budgetary reasons earlier that year.
Now, the case has been reopened at the urging of the 12 students, who believe that SRU may not be in compliance with Title IX. The 1972 law requires that both men and women at be given equal opportunities for participation in athletics at universities that receive federal funding.
Susan Frietsche, a senior staff attorney for the Women's Law Project, said that the two claims in the case have been settled and that the monitoring of the university's current compliance is what caused the case to be reopened. The Women's Law Project is the nonprofit organization defending the student athletes.
"The university is providing too few opportunities for women to play sports," Frietsche said.
The two claims that are involved in the case are the equal-participation claim and the treatment claim.
The equal-participation claim states that there be an equal opportunity for women to participate in sports on a college campus and the treatment claim states that everything including coaching staffs, facilities and available resources are equal for both men and women.
U.S. District Court Judge Donetta W. Ambrose ordered that Slippery Rock University will be monitored to make sure they remain in compliance with Title IX.
Beth Choike, a 21-year old communication major and member of the women's water polo and swimming teams, said that she doesn't feel that the women's sports are safe.
"A letter was written last month to the SRU lawyers stating that the university is out of compliance with Title IX," Choike said. "They are trying to prove compliance by using roster management and allowing a certain amount of spots on men's and women's teams."
After the 2007-08 school year, the women's water polo and swimming teams will no longer be in existence. The university has already offset these cuts by increasing the number of roster spots available on other women's sports teams.
"Even though I'm graduating, I still am looking to the future of the teams," Choike said. "I don't want the programs to die."
SRU President Robert Smith said that the university is in compliance with Title IX.
"We have fulfilled all the requirements presented to the university," he said.
The newly reopened case concerning the compliance of SRU was presented to Ambrose and further deliberation will come in the next few months.
The students filed the original lawsuit after eight women's and men's sports teams were cut for budgetary reasons earlier that year.
Now, the case has been reopened at the urging of the 12 students, who believe that SRU may not be in compliance with Title IX. The 1972 law requires that both men and women at be given equal opportunities for participation in athletics at universities that receive federal funding.
Susan Frietsche, a senior staff attorney for the Women's Law Project, said that the two claims in the case have been settled and that the monitoring of the university's current compliance is what caused the case to be reopened. The Women's Law Project is the nonprofit organization defending the student athletes.
"The university is providing too few opportunities for women to play sports," Frietsche said.
The two claims that are involved in the case are the equal-participation claim and the treatment claim.
The equal-participation claim states that there be an equal opportunity for women to participate in sports on a college campus and the treatment claim states that everything including coaching staffs, facilities and available resources are equal for both men and women.
U.S. District Court Judge Donetta W. Ambrose ordered that Slippery Rock University will be monitored to make sure they remain in compliance with Title IX.
Beth Choike, a 21-year old communication major and member of the women's water polo and swimming teams, said that she doesn't feel that the women's sports are safe.
"A letter was written last month to the SRU lawyers stating that the university is out of compliance with Title IX," Choike said. "They are trying to prove compliance by using roster management and allowing a certain amount of spots on men's and women's teams."
After the 2007-08 school year, the women's water polo and swimming teams will no longer be in existence. The university has already offset these cuts by increasing the number of roster spots available on other women's sports teams.
"Even though I'm graduating, I still am looking to the future of the teams," Choike said. "I don't want the programs to die."
SRU President Robert Smith said that the university is in compliance with Title IX.
"We have fulfilled all the requirements presented to the university," he said.
The newly reopened case concerning the compliance of SRU was presented to Ambrose and further deliberation will come in the next few months.
Be the first to comment on this story