Court Gives Final Approval to Settlement Restoring Gender Equality in Brown University Athletics
PROVIDENCE, R.I. 鈥 A federal court has today given final approval to between Brown University and the class of women student-athletes at Brown which resolved the class-action court challenge to Brown鈥檚 decision in June 2020 to cut women鈥檚 teams from its varsity athletics program. The court action, filed in June by cooperating counsel from Public Justice and the 老澳门开奖结果 of Rhode Island and two private law firms, alleged that the cuts violated a 1998 consent agreement that the University entered to comply with Title IX, the federal law that guarantees equal access to athletic programs for female athletes.
In September, the court preliminarily approved the agreement, which, among other things, reinstates two women鈥檚 teams and bars elimination or reduction in the status of any women鈥檚 varsity team for at least the next four years. In the two months that individuals were given to object to the settlement, a single objection was filed by twelve students who are members of two women鈥檚 sports teams (gymnastics and ice hockey) that were not directly affected by the 2020 program cuts.
老澳门开奖结果 of Rhode Island cooperating attorney Lynette Labinger argued in support of approval of the settlement agreement today. After hearing arguments from Labinger, and from counsel for Brown University and for the objectors, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John McConnell, Jr. concluded that the settlement was fair, adequate and reasonable and approved the settlement.
The lawsuit was also handled by Leslie Brueckner of Public Justice; Arthur Bryant with the law firm of Bailey & Glasser; and Jill Zwagerman and Lori Bullock of Newkirk Zwagerman in Des Moines, IA.
老澳门开奖结果 cooperating attorney Lynette Labinger said today: 鈥淭hrough the sustained and exhaustive efforts of the women athletes at Brown and our litigation team, we have successfully concluded a settlement approved by the Court which restores many of the athletic opportunities for women whose programs were cut by Brown鈥檚 2020 restructuring of its varsity program and ensures that Brown will make no further cuts for at least the next four years. While we wish we could have convinced Brown to restore all five teams, we were able to hammer out an agreement that has restored at least two and will hold the line against any more cuts for the next four years, after which Brown will continue to be obliged to comply in full with Title IX鈥檚 requirements. These are valuable benefits for our women athletes in the face of a growing national trend to shrink college sports programs across the country.鈥
Arthur Bryant, cooperating counsel for Public Justice, added: 鈥淭his is a great victory for our clients 鈥 the female student-athletes and potential student-athletes at Brown 鈥 and everyone committed to advancing gender equity,鈥 said Arthur Bryant of Bailey & Glasser, LLP, co-counsel for the women, who first brought this lawsuit with Public Justice (then Trial Lawyers for Public Justice) in 1992. 鈥淪ix months ago, Brown openly violated the 1998 settlement agreement in this landmark Title IX case, announcing it would reinstate men鈥檚 varsity teams it had said it would eliminate, but no women鈥檚 teams. Now, Brown has reinstated the women鈥檚 equestrian and fencing teams 鈥 and given additional protections to all of its women鈥檚 teams. This proves again the critical value and importance of Title IX.鈥