32 female athletes file Title IX suit against Oregon

Thirty-two female student athletes from the Univ. of Oregon "filed a Title IX lawsuit" today in federal court, alleging that Oregon’s athletic department "is out of compliance" with the federal law that bans sex discrimination in education. The suit alleges that Oregon "does not fulfill any of the three 'prongs' … used to determine Title IX compliance" -- participation proportional to enrollment, expansion of opportunities and accommodating existing interest. Specifically, the lawsuit says, the university's athletic department is guilty of "depriving women of equal treatment and benefits, equal athletic aid, and equal opportunities to participate in varsity intercollegiate athletics." The group, which is "comprised of 26 beach volleyball players and six club rowing team members," filed suit as a result of a July investigation that "revealed numerous instances" of "blatant sex-based discrimination" (USA TODAY, 12/1).