2008 Woodie Awards
Judge rules against re-opening Title IX case
By April Aven
Rocket Assistant News Editor
Issue date: 1/18/08 Section: News
A U.S. District Court judge denied a motion to re-open the Title IX lawsuit against Slippery Rock University on Jan. 7.
U.S. District Court Judge of the Western District of Pennsylvania Donetta W. Ambrose stated that the plaintiffs failed to sustain their burden in demonstrating that SRU did not comply with Title IX's requirements during the 2006-07 academic year.
The students filed the original lawsuit after eight women's and men's sports teams were cut for budgetary reasons in 2006.
The 1972 Title IX law requires that both men and women be given equal opportunities for participation in athletics and other activities at universities that receive federal funding.
According to the judge's ruling, "The plaintiffs are not entitled to an additional sum of money and I cannot prevent SRU from taking steps to dismantle the women's swimming and water polo teams."
SRU had to be in compliance with the participation requirement of Title IX by June 30 of the 2006-07 academic year, Ambrose said in the ruling.
"Female student athletes accounted for 293 of the 547 athletic opportunities provided by SRU during the 2006-07 academic year," Ambrose stated. "In other words, 53.6 percent of all athletic opportunities were provided to female students."
The male student athletes accounted for 254 of the 547 athletic participants, or 46.4 percent.
Considering that women account for 54.8 percent and men 45.2 percent of the total student body, and because women were provided with 53.6 percent of the athletic opportunities to the men's 46.4 percent, Ambrose stated that SRU shows a differential of 1.2 percent in favor of men.
The ruling stated that while considering all participants as defined by the plaintiffs, SRU was well within the two percentage points of equal participation of men and women athletes, which was part of the settlement.
The settlement agreement stated that SRU could eliminate the women's swimming and water polo teams for the 2008-09 academic year, provided that it had achieved compliance by the date set.
U.S. District Court Judge of the Western District of Pennsylvania Donetta W. Ambrose stated that the plaintiffs failed to sustain their burden in demonstrating that SRU did not comply with Title IX's requirements during the 2006-07 academic year.
The students filed the original lawsuit after eight women's and men's sports teams were cut for budgetary reasons in 2006.
The 1972 Title IX law requires that both men and women be given equal opportunities for participation in athletics and other activities at universities that receive federal funding.
According to the judge's ruling, "The plaintiffs are not entitled to an additional sum of money and I cannot prevent SRU from taking steps to dismantle the women's swimming and water polo teams."
SRU had to be in compliance with the participation requirement of Title IX by June 30 of the 2006-07 academic year, Ambrose said in the ruling.
"Female student athletes accounted for 293 of the 547 athletic opportunities provided by SRU during the 2006-07 academic year," Ambrose stated. "In other words, 53.6 percent of all athletic opportunities were provided to female students."
The male student athletes accounted for 254 of the 547 athletic participants, or 46.4 percent.
Considering that women account for 54.8 percent and men 45.2 percent of the total student body, and because women were provided with 53.6 percent of the athletic opportunities to the men's 46.4 percent, Ambrose stated that SRU shows a differential of 1.2 percent in favor of men.
The ruling stated that while considering all participants as defined by the plaintiffs, SRU was well within the two percentage points of equal participation of men and women athletes, which was part of the settlement.
The settlement agreement stated that SRU could eliminate the women's swimming and water polo teams for the 2008-09 academic year, provided that it had achieved compliance by the date set.
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