Thirty-two female athletes at the University of Oregon have filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the school has discriminated against them in violation of Title IX civil rights laws.
The Oregonian reports that the 26 plaintiffs are members of the beach volleyball team and six are members of the club rowing team.
The 115-page lawsuit contends that the university in Eugene is “depriving its female student-athletes of equal treatment, equal athletic financial aid, and equal opportunities to participate in varsity athletics in violation of Title IX,” the 1972 federal law that requires women and men be provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports.
An investigative report published by The Oregonian/OregonLive in July detailed disparate treatment of players on the Oregon beach volleyball team, which has never received athletic scholarship funding in its 10 years of existence and practices and plays rare home matches at Amazon Park, a public park in Eugene where the restroom has no doors on the stalls because of concerns about squatters.
The report detailed unequal treatment of the beach volleyball team with regard to locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities; travel and daily allowances; equipment and supplies; and recruiting.
In October, a campus planning committee approved a site recommendation for an on-campus beach volleyball facility. The earliest that facility could be completed is fall 2025.
